Star Wars Episode VII: The Next Force
by Vypernight
Summary: To help my wait for the new movies, I wrote my own. I used mostly characters from the movies, as well as my own creations, since I know many who haven't read many of the books. For those who have read the books, I ignored most of what happened following NJO. Also, I used Wookiepedia and the SW RPG for research. Hope you enjoy!
1. Prologue

STAR WARS

Episode VII: The Next Force

Orbiting the green moon of Endor, the second Death Star, the Empire's newest and deadliest weapon, exploded, sending debris in all directions. Ships, fighters and cruisers, Rebel and Imperial, shot away from the explosion. The battle quickly forgotten, every ship turned, ignored its adversary, and bolted away from the explosion.

All but one.

A single vessel, a tiny transport, appeared and flew straight into the void where the massive space station had been. Burning debris tore through its shields and into its hull, and soon the transport lost its power and drifted until gravity took hold and pulled it toward the bright green moon.

The vessel sailed through the atmosphere and plummeted through the sky. Surrendering momentum, it tumbled through the tall trees, tore through branches the size of ships themselves, and collided with the dirt, digging across hill before it slid to a stop.

The smoking, broken hull collapsed, piece-by-searing-piece. The tiny transport was reduced to hundreds of scraps, and so were its passengers. Body parts strewn across the ground. The smell of burning flesh filled the night air, sending animals dashing away. Those once on the ship were now reduced to crushed, burned, scattered remains.

All but one.

A single being emerged from the wreckage. Draped in a torn sheet, which it wore like a cloak, the being clawed at the dirt as it crawled, one blistered hand at a time. Reaching the top of a small hill, the figure roared at the night. Its voice breaking, it choked and spit blood and screamed a deep-throated, monstrous scream that made any curious life scatter in mortal terror. Shivering, groaning, it screamed against the night, its voice reaching a shattering, icy pitch.

But the night ignored the pain. In the distance, other beings sang, danced, laughed, and mourned. But none responded to the scream. The voices ignored the figure.

All but one.

A faint voice sang back, and the being crawled to it. Trembling, it clawed through the dirt, tumbled down the hill, and smashed into fallen trees. It screamed again, and again the other voice sang back, a simple hum through the uncaring night. And the being, ignoring the cold air slicing through burnt and gashed skin, stood upright and raced through sharp bushes and branches in search of the humming. It stumbled through the darkness, tripped, and collapsed into waist-high grass.

The humming resumed, within reach, and the being found the source. A small, pyramid-shaped object covered in marks of a lost tongue. Whimpering, The being touched the object and it hummed again. Then, a bright red glow erupted from within the object, covering the entire area in a crimson drape.

The glowing blue image of a cloaked figure appeared from the object. Cloaked, a wrinkled, but visibly powerful being lifted yellow eyes to the being.

"I am Sidious," the man said, "Dark Lord of the Sith."

But Sidious was overthrown, the Sith defeated, the masters of the Dark Side of the force destroyed.

The being sighed as it stared at the image.

All but one.


	2. Chapter 1

STAR WARS

EPISODE VII: THE NEXT FORCE

1.

The shuttle craft, followed by several TIE Fighters, flew from the Star Destroyer and landed in the hanger bay of the large space station. Admiral Paxus Warren, flanked by Stormtroopers, stepped down the landing ramp and through the hanger doors, into a long, brightly-lit hallway.

He stopped before a T-shaped hallway with doors on all three sides. The one before him opened, and a dark-skinned man in formal clothing emerged, flanked by two younger men in military uniforms.

"Calrissian," Warren said, eyeing the man who echoed his middle age.

"Admiral Warren," Lando Calrissian responded.

"Shall we get on with this?" Warren asked.

"Might as well," Lando said.

The two turned and the large door slid open, revealing flashing lights and shouts from onlookers, reporters, and personnel. Lando put on his best smile as he and Warren stepped up to the podium.

"I'd like to welcome you all to the Tendrando Station," Lando said as he looked over the people. "When my wife and I opened this trading post, we set out to bring people together from all corners of the galaxy. I have to admit though that I never thought that would include The Empire. And yet, here they are, and hopefully not to conquer us this time."

His last sentence brought nervous laughter from the crowd, and even Warren smiled slightly as he spoke.

"Trust me when I say fighting is the last thing we want. After over 30 years of bloodshed, it's time to end this war. That's why Mr. Calrissian has allowed us here today, to announce that in three months time, Chief of State Gallus and I will sign the Tendrando Treaty uniting the Rebellion . . . pardon me . . . the Republic and Empire once and for all into the first Galactic Alliance."

A reporter stepped forward and raised her hand. "There are reports that worlds such as Corellia oppose this alliance. How do you plan to deal with these rumors?"

Lando answered, "From what I understand, Chief Gallus and Admiral Warren plan to visit each of these worlds, hopefully to help them trust each other once again."

"We cut open too many wounds over the years," Warren said. "I hope we can mend as many as possible."

Another reporter asked, "What about the reports of Ssurg-"

"Minister of Defense Ssurg's duty," Warren cut him off, "has always been to develop technology for the Empire and nothing more. His words may seem to carry weight after a his victory in the Vong War, but I assure you he does not speak for the entire Empire."

"Mr. Calrissian, the last time you stood this close to Imperials, Bespin fell. Does this meeting bring back any bad memories?"

Sitting in a cantina in the station, Skuzzo Drok scoffed as he watched the monitor. "Yeah, he just handz Cloud City over to thoz Imps just like he iz now. You get themz in my face, and I won't be backin' down. You canz be sure of that!"

He took a swig of his drink and leaned back in his chair when someone stepped in front of the monitor, watching it.

"Hey!" Skuzzo said. "You mindz? Your string-shape iz blockin' the screen! Move it beforez I-"

The person turned, and Skuzzo froze. "You-"

The person before him was a blue-skinned boy in his late teens, with short, sandy blond hair and large green eyes. He wore dark gray pants and a light gray, loose-fitting, tunic. The boy looked down at him, and Skuzzo trembled under his stoic gaze.

"I swearz, just an accident! I'll returnz it all rightz now! Givez me-"

Before he could finish, the boy turned, staring into space for a moment, then walked away. Skuzzo stood, sending his chair flying back, and raced out of the cantina.

Following the conference, Lando and Warren retreated to the hallway.

"I gotta admit," Lando said, "I'm still not used to being around stormtroopers who aren't trying to shoot me."

Warren smiled. "It'll take time, but I hope one day both sides can overcome these fears."

He turned to the door of his hanger. "Despite what Ssurg and many others say, most of us do want this alliance, Calrissian. And I swear I'll do my part to make it happen."

Lando held out his hand. "Good luck to you Admiral. I hope all goes well."

Warren accepted it. "Thank you. Once this alliance is complete, I'm bringing my wife and daughters back here, though knowing them, I won't see them once they discover Level C." He turned and departed through the doors.

Lando chuckled, shaking his head and turned to his guards, Anders Tol, a thin man with gray hair and beard and Scon Brek, an athletically-built young man, with short dark-brown hair and goatee. "Well I think that covers things for today."

"Debi Dahls wanted an interview with you before you left, sir," Tol said.

Lando smirked. "I've got a family now. I'm not wasting my vacation on some pretty face with no brain."

"But . . . she insisted sir," Tol said. "And I'm sure business could use the PR."

"All right fine," Lando said, throwing his hands up. "Just give me a minute."

"We'll be waiting, sir." Tol and Breck turned and departed.

Lando pulled out his comlink and activated it.

"Sala . . ."

The response came from a young woman on the other end. "Nice conference, Dad. Though I haven't seen you sweat so much since your wedding video."

"Thanks a lot. Listen, they want me to do an interview with Dahls."

"You mean that bimbo with no brain and huge-"

"Ratings," Lando cut her off. "Yeah, but I'll try and keep it short. Then we'll be on our way."

"Okay, Dad. I'll ready the Cobra while you turn on the charm."

Lando turned off and pocketed his comlink, then walked through the doors his door his guards had entered. Tol and Breck stood waiting.

"They're ready for you, sir," Tol said.

"Let's get this over with," Lando responded and followed his guards through the hallway.

Halfway through the hallway, they turned and entered one of the station's storage rooms.

"What are we doing here?" Lando asked.

Just then, several humans in black and red armor stepped out, pointing blaster rifles at Lando.

"Neks?"

Lando turned to see Tol and Breck also pointing blaster as him.

"Sorry sir," Tol said. "We . . . I had no choice."

Lando smirked. "I guess I deserved that."

"This alliance won't happen," Breck said. "Your death will assure that."

"But I'm not part of either government," Lando said, raising his hands. "What do you hope to accomplish with shooting me?"

"A lot of people like you," Breck answered. "They won't like finding you reduced to a smoking corpse." He looked at his rifle. "And the Republic won't like when they learn the people who shot you were supplied with Imperial weapons."

"I'm so sorry," Tol said again. "I'm just afraid the Imperials-"

"Enough of this!" Breck yelled and pointed his rifle directly at Lando's head.

Suddenly, the air vent above them blew open and the blue-skinned boy leaped out. Performing a flip, he landed between Lando and Breck, and the white blade of his lightsaber deflected Breck's blaster shot. The boy spin-kicked Tol, sending him crashing into one of the other Neks, grabbed Lando by the arm, and pulled him back into the hallway. The door shut behind them, and the boy turned, closing his free hand into a fist. The circuitry next to the door smoked and fizzled, and the boy led Lando back down the hallway.

Back in the room, Breck cursed and shot the door, then turned to one of the Nek troops. "Tell the others, Calrissian's heading toward the hangers!"

Lando and the boy ran through the hallway and got to the door of the hanger, when the boy froze, and pulled Lando from the door.

"What are you doing?" Lando asked. "My ship is this way!"

He started to open the door, but the boy pulled him back as a blaster shot just missed his head. Lando backed away. "Never mind."

He then turned to a maintenance door. "This way." The boy followed him, sealing the door behind them.

Running through the maintenance shaft, Lando pulled out his comlink. "Sala, get ready for take-off!"

"What's going on?" Sala asked.

"Someone's trying to kill me. Just don't drop the landing ramp till I tell you."

In a nook of the shaft, Skuzzo searched through a large crate when he saw Lando run toward him.

"Heyz, whatz the idea-" His eyes went wide when he saw the boy "I swearz, I must've dropped somethingz!"

Another door opened, and blaster fire shot around them. Skuzzo screamed like a toddler and leaped into the crate. The boy slammed the crate lid shut and continued running.

They exited a door into a hanger that held several yachts. As they ran past one ship, the boy leaped into the air, kicked someone, and deflected another blast before landing next to Lando again. Two Neks fell behind them. Lando turned toward them, but the boy grabbed his arm.

"If I'm getting shot at, I want my own gun!" Lando said. One of the Nek's rifles then flew through the air and landed in Lando's hands. "Thanks, let's go!"

As they got to the door, the boy stopped and looked back. They both ducked as blaster fire missed them again. "What are you waiting for?" Lando asked.

The boy stared at the craft closest to them for a moment, then lunged forward and sliced through its landing gear with his lightsaber. He made a sweeping gesture with his free hand, and the broken landing gear hurled towards the blasts. Without its gear, the craft creaked and toppled away from them, crashing into the other craft. Flames shot out from one of the crafts causing the station's fire-dispersing systems to drop foam over the hanger and alarm klaxons to sound.

Lando looked at everything the boy had caused in a matter of seconds. "Well that kills their chance of subtlety. That's for sure."

The boy then ran past him, grabbing his arm.

They entered a huge hanger filled with several ships, and Lando's modified Lambda-class shuttle, the Cobra, in the center.

"Sala, drop the ramp, now!"

The landing ramp lowered, and both Lando and the boy boarded the craft. Inside, Sala, a dark-skinned woman in her late teens wearing a blue and green jumpsuit, stood at the top of the ramp.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"I don't know," Lando answered as he punched the button to raise the ramp, "but we're getting out of here."

The boy had already leaped into the pilot's seat and lifted the craft off the ground before Lando and Sala had even reached the cockpit. Spinning the ship around, he flew it toward the hanger doors. The doors opened to reveal several craft racing toward them. Seeing this, the boy turned the ship and flew back into the hanger. The ships entered the hanger and chased the Cobra, firing shots that the boy managed to dodge.

"The doors are closing!" Sala said, pointing.

The boy activated several switches and turned the craft toward the closing doors.

Lando looked at the controls. "You can't go to lightspeed inside a hanger!"

But the boy ignored him, closing his eyes to slits, he slowly activated the hyperdrive.

Lando and Sala grabbed each other and turned away from the window. The craft shook, and they heard the engines jolt, the sheering of metal, and then nothing. They both looked up to see the ship had entered hyperspace.

"No major damage," Sala said as she looked over the controls. "We made it."

Opening his eyes, the boy lifted a comlink from his belt.

"Master," he said in a calm, almost melodic tone, "Calrissian and his daughter are safe."

"Thank you, Jiias," came the reply. "We'll see you soon."

Lando looked from the boy to the comlink. He recognized the voice all too well;

Luke Skywalker.


	3. Chapter 2

2.

"General on deck!"

Scon Breck, better known to his troops as General Nevet Krell, stormed onto the Nek's cruiser's bridge, where Tol waited nervously.

"I'm sorry," Tol pleaded. "Lando was once a close friend. It's hard to betray him, even for our cause."

"Put Him on the com, now," Krell ordered. Turning, he punched Tol in the jaw, sending the older man crashing to the ship's deck.

"Everything of significance is the result of conquest."

The cloaked figure listened to the image of The Emperor, until a beeping from his chair interrupted. Deactivating the holocron, the figure pressed a switch, and the image of Krell appeared instead. Krell held his blaster pistol out and repeatedly shot someone out of view. When the screaming stopped, he looked up, not with fear or nervousness, but with anger.

"Lord Rasur, Calrissian escaped," He said with frustration. "He had a Jedi with him, and they slipped right through our fingers."

Rasur remained silent, though Krell didn't seem to care.

"I swear as soon as I get my troops ready, I'm dropping a bomb right over their damn temple!"

"How soon?" Rasur asked, in a voice that sounded more like a deep growl.

Krell, still furious, was caught off guard. "What?"

"How soon will your troops be ready?" Rasur asked again.

Collecting himself, he answered, "One month." Staring straight at Rasur, Krell said with ice-cold determination, "I swear to you when we meet the Jedi-"

"Deal with your troops first," Rasur cut him off. He raised his head, revealing an ogre-like face and fiery yellow eyes.

"I will deal with the Jedi . . ."

He pressed a button and Krell's image vanished. Darth Rasur then turned his chair and looked out the window, where in the distance, he could see the Jedi Temple.

With a guttural snarl, he continued, ". . . and with Skywalker."


	4. Chapter 3

3.

The two Jedi, a red-haired human in his late thirties and a middle-age arkanian with short gray hair and pupil-less eyes, exited the Jedi Temple and watched the Cobra fly over and slowly land on the nearby pad.

"He damaged the wings," the older one observed.

"He also saved two lives," the younger one said.

"He's reckless."

"Look who trained him."

Jiias stepped down the ramp first, followed by Lando and Sala. He stopped before the two Jedi, and the older man glared at him for several moments before speaking.

"Do you have any idea how much damage you caused? Are you aware of the lives you endangered?"

Jiias lowered his head and listened, but didn't answer.

"I assure you, young one, we Will discuss this soon."

"Understood," Jiias finally said, then stepped aside so Lando could step forward.

The younger Jedi held out his hand. "Mr. Calrissian, I'm glad to see you're safe. My name is Caston Aulric, and this is Jedi Master Del Tansi."

Lando accepted his hand. "Thank you, and call me Lando"

"We've already called for a meeting of the Council, Mr. Calrissian," Tansi said. "We'll discuss the recent events and decide how to proceed next."

"Good, any word on how the Empire is responding to this?"

"They've been quiet thus far," Tansi answered, "but we're trying to contact Admiral Warren."

Sala, who was more watching Jiias than paying attention to the conversation, turned slightly when she thought she heard a crash. Looking to her right, she saw small clouds of smoke from around the corner of the temple. Leaving her father and the Jedi, she walked toward it to investigate.

As she got to the corner, she saw that a speeder bike had crashed into the wall of the temple. Its rider, worn military garb and wearing a cracked helmet, stumbled from the craft and fell against the wall.

She rushed over to the rider. "Are you okay?"

She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he slapped it away while glaring at the craft.

"Bolla neechu!"

Sala saw that the sleeve's of the rider's jacket were actually cloth wrapped and tied around his arms like makeshift bandages.

"Oh my, you're hurt! Let me get you some help."

"Jee settah bolla neechu!" he snapped again. He stumbled back to inspect his craft and began kicking it. "Slimo dwana ma un podoo chawa! "

He took a few steps, but lost his balance and nearly crashed to the ground, but Sala lunged forward and caught him. "Calm down, it's okay." She tried to remember her Huttese.

"Soong eniki. Jee hopa uba. Let me help you."

She gently lowered him to the ground, leaning him against the wall. He was trembling so she touched his shoulder and spoke quietly to him.

"Soong eniki. It's okay. Just take a breath and relax."

"Dobrah un koochoo!" he whimpered, shaking his head. "un koochoo!" He rubbed the sides of his helmet. "Ma ooma!"

Sala took a thermos from her belt and gave it to him. "Here, drink some water, I mean. Wata, Yocal ti."

He raised his helmet slightly and drank some of it before handing it back. Placing it back on her belt, she slowly helped him to his feet. "Let's go inside. Boska. Ta Jedai kava hopa uba."

"Thank you, Sala," he said, getting to his feet.

"You're welcome," she said as she walked toward the corner. Then she stopped and turned, her eyes growing wide as the rider lifted off his helmet.

"Master Skywalker?"

Luke Skywalker attached his helmet to his belt and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Sala Calrissian. And, thanks for the water. Now let's go see your father."

As they walked away, they heard a beeping behind them and turned to see R2D2 emerge from a hidden door on the side of the temple.

"It's all yours, R2," Luke said.

Examining the smoking craft, R2D2 squawked a response.

"Oh, it's not that bad. Besides, you said you enjoy fixing things."

They returned to the others and Lando stepped forward.

"Luke!" Not knowing how to conduct himself, he lowered his head. "Master Skywalker, it's been a long time."

Smiling, Luke stepped forward and hugged him. "Too long, Lando. Great to see you." Lando couldn't help but smile back.

"So did Sala pass your test?"

Luke turned to look at Sala. "She posseses both compassion and empathy. I look forward to training her."

"Training me?" she asked.

"You haven't told her?" Luke asked.

"No, not exactly."

"Well now would be a good time."

"I don't understand." Sala looked between her father and Luke. Lando took a deep breath and spoke.

"Sala, your real mother died of an illness not long after you were born. Tendra was a friend at the time who helped me, both through my grief and raising you. A couple years later when we got married, she assumed the role of your mother."

"I see," Sala responded. "So my mother was a Jedi?"

"She was strong in the Force," Lando answered. "And we just learned you are as well. All those times you helped me negotiate with and settle matters with hostile customers was more than just skill."

Sala thought about it for a moment, then looked up in shock. "If I used any Force tricks on people, I honestly never even realized it."

"You didn't," Luke said. "You have been able to sense the feelings of others and calm them when they're upset, but I believe that's the extent of it."

"How do you know?" She asked. "I mean I know I'm not some Force master, but if I had tricked someone into buying anything . . . "

"You didn't when you sold me that bike a year ago," Luke said.

Sala stared at him for a moment, then smirked. "The desert rider, that was you. I never could place the accent."

Luke grinned. "That's because I made it up. I actually thought you'd see right through it."

"However, I am concerned that it doesn't happen in the future," Lando said. "That's why I brought you here. Plus, you've always wanted to help people. Now's your chance."

Sala turned to her father. "I want to do this, but will I see you again?"

"Of course you will," Lando laughed. "Even Luke isn't That strict!"

"Let's talk more inside," Luke said.

Tansi stepped forward. "Before we do so, Master Skywalker, I believe you should speak with your apprentice about his recent activity."

"You're right." Luke approached Jiias, he watched him nervously. Placing his hands on Jiias' shoulders he said, "Thank you, my friend, for rescuing Lando and Sala."

"Master." Jiias said, nodding.

"And from what I heard, nice flying," Luke said as they entered the temple.

"Yeah," Aulric said. "For once, Jiias is the ace pilot, and Master Skywalker is crashing things!"


	5. Chapter 4

4.

The circular room, once where the Jedi Council resided, now had become a room for all Jedi to meet. Luke had chairs placed all along the walls, even the windows so everyone would face each other equally. Although the New Jedi Council sat on the side near the windows apart from the rest, the room still held a feeling of oneness. Luke wanted everyone who assembled, masters and students, Jedi and non-Jedi, to regard each others as peers, with no one looking up or down at anyone else.

Sala sat with Lando on one side and Aulric on the other, while Luke sat between them and the council. Chief of State Bail Gallus, a human in his later years, sat across from Luke and was joined by several pilots.

Luke stood first. "Before we begin, I'd like to introduce our newest member of the Jedi Order, Sala Calrissian. Now most of our Jedi and Masters are still helping the galaxy heal from the Vong War, but a few of our rather colorful leaders are with us today. You've already met Master Tansi. May I present Master Paacense, who watches over our younger Jedi" A female Hutt smiled and raised her hand. "Greetings, young Sala."

"Our combat-training instructor, Master Editha Shiee," A human woman with long gray hair whose beauty was visible even in her later age, nodded and smiled.

"And Master Lalu Amiscus, who has taken charge of rebuilding our library." The caterpillar-like being nodded his head and turned to look at Luke.

"It seems," Tansi said, "that our final member is late yet again."

"That's because I was traveling all over the capital to speak with those who still fear this new Alliance," Leia said as she entered the room with C3P0. "Not all of us get to sit in a room and contemplate the universe all day."

Luke shot her a look, but she ignored it and greeted Sala and Lando before sitting beside her brother.

"Leia," Lando said, "You look more beautiful every time I see you." Sala's jaw dropped, but Leia merely smirked.

"Only you would keep the charm on, even after a crisis. I thought Tendra would've worked that out of you by now."

Lando smiled. "She has, just not enough."

"I heard you were attacked," Leia said, returning them to the meeting.

"Yes," Lando answered, "and Luke's student got us out safe."

All eyes turned to Jiias, who stared uncomfortably at the floor.

Tansi grunted. "Did you also hear that young Jiias destroyed at least three ships and caused millions of credits in damage to the station?" He glared directly at Jiias as he spoke, while the young Jedi kept from meeting his eyes."

"He saved our lives," Lando said. "Hell, I can get the station repaired, and I'll replace all those ships that were damaged." He looked at Sala, who was watching Jias with anything but anger. "Some things can't be replaced though."

"What about the chaos you caused?" Tansi asked. "People running in all directions and even trampling some."

"Master Tansi, that is enough!" Paacence glared at the older master, her eyes showing complete shock at his words. "He did the best he could for his first mission alone."

Lando looked to Luke and mouthed the words, "first mission?" Luke however, ignored him.

"She's right," Editha added. "Anyway, according to the footage we received, the chaos was caused by blasters firing, and I don't recall Jiias ever firing one shot."

Jiias looked up. "I did not."

Luke broke up the chaos that now seemed to enter the room. "We're holding those who tried to shoot Lando responsible, no one else."

He turned to Lando. "Any ideas as to who it was?"

"Two of, well I thought they were loyal assistants, but turned out they were Neks."

"What are Neks?" Tansi asked.

"They started as a militia fighting to overthrow the government on Corellia," Lando answered. "And at the time, the Republic supported them and gave them supplies."

"Well that was wise," Tansi said sarcastically.

"Remember the trick with hindsight," Editha said to him.

"Well now they have Imperial weapons as well," Lando continued. "They were ready to shoot me with stormtrooper blasters."

"I knew it," Roor Kozal, a Kel Dor pilot seated next to Gallus said. "I knew they were up to something!"

Amiscus chattered something and Editha spoke up. "I agree, this seems too simple."

"Well, there are some Imperials who do oppose this Alliance," Tansi said. "Their Minister of Defense, Ssurg has been anything but silent about his views. It seems like he spends more time on his speeches than on his technology."

"That's one reason we're not suspecting Ssurg," Gallus said. "He just doesn't have enough time to plot such an assault."

"And General Warren seems like he honestly looks forward to this Alliance," Leia added. "I don't suspect him."

Asmiscus spoke up again and C3P0 translated for him. "He says that we should begin our search at Corellia itself. Perhaps then we can gain more insight."

"I agree," Luke said. "We can learn more while escorting Lando home."

Lando smiled. "Thanks, I'll feel much safer having a Jedi with me. Just like old times, huh, Luke?"

"Unfortunately Lando, I have to stay here to train the younger Jedi."

"But," Leia said, "I have someone in mind."


	6. Chapter 5

5.

The huge hanger had been built decades ago to hold hundreds of TIE Fighters. Now, though, the Republic and Jedi shared it, dividing it into numerous, smaller docking bays.

Leia entered the hanger, passing Roor Kozal and his squadron. Captain Kozal was watching as two of his pilots sat playing a board game, staring intently at disc-like stones as they took turns stacking and pushing them across the board. Leia remembered hearing about Kozal's rather unorthodox training methods, which he divided between rigorous [physical games and mind-twisting mental ones. Of course, considering Hammer Squadron's success rate, Kozal had to be doing something right, even if he still held on to past mindsets of hate.

She also passed the Cobra which Lando recently donated to a local transport company. The ship was still in good shape despite its past adventures, and Luke's apprentice nearly flying it right through hanger doors. Lando was in his luxury apartment, discussing recent business deals with his wife before he returned home.

Finally she arrived at the transport, a large, oddly-shaped, older ship that had seen far more battles than any soldier in the hanger. Leia circled the landing gear of the Millennium Falcon and followed the sounds of metal clanking and human cursing.

She ducked as a wrench flew by her head, breaking it in two as it slammed into the wall.

"Piece of rusted junk!" Han Solo said. He was dressed in his usual black pants, though his white shirt, was now gray as his hair, and just as matted. Leia hadn't seen his favorite vest in years. Han sat on a crate, inspecting with disgust a panel lowered from the underside of the Falcon .

"Well it doesn't work too well when you throw it against the wall," Leia said, picking up the pieces and disposing them in a nearby garbage container.

Han scoffed. "It's junk! It's all junk." He looked up at his ship. "All of it. Falling apart, inside and out. Too many problems." He sighed, looking down and running a hand through his hair. "Too many years."

"Too much mileage maybe," Leia said, walking over to him, "but that never stopped you before from getting her up and helping to save the galaxy."

"Don't need her anymore," Han mumbled. "The kids are saving the galaxy. You're saving the galaxy."

"The kids are saving another galaxy," Leia corrected him. "And just because I'm out there doesn't mean you can't be."

Han turned back to the panel. Picking up another tool, he fiddled with the panel again.

"Besides," Leia continued, "we have a mission to get you and the Falcon out of this hanger and back into space."

"Oh really?" Han said.

"Lando needs a ride back home," Leia said. "And on your way back, we'd like you to stop by Corellia. Maybe Wedge has some information on the group that attacked Lando."

Han continued to work on the panel, not looking up or acknowledging Leia's words.

"Did you hear me?" She asked.

"Yeah," Han grumbled. " Chauffeur Lando home and ask Wedge to save the day again."

"We're asking You to save it," Leia said, staring down at him.

The panel Han was working on sparked, sending him tumbling back over the crate. Rolling to one knee, he lunged forward and smashed the tool over and over again into the now-smoking metal.

"Stupid, useless, worthless pile of . . . ." He stormed around and started kicking one of the landing struts. "It should've been scrapped a long time ago."

"Han, what's really the problem?" Leia asked.

Han spun around and glared at her. "What the hell do you think the problem is?" He gestured to the Falcon. "Her copilot's dead, one kid's dead, the others are out who-knows-where, you're out on your own heroic missions!" He turned back smashing his tool against a lowered part of the Falcon's undercarriage.

"But the Falcon, she's just standing still. She's not out saving anything. She can't, even if she wanted to. She just isn't what she used to be." He turned to look at Leia again.

"She's standing still" He collapsed again the ramp, burying his face in his hands. "She's just standing still."

Leia watched him for several moments, then walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's not dead, Han. Don't bury her yet."

"You think I want to?" he mumbled, fingers running down his face.

"Well do you?" Leia asked. She turned to leave, but stopped and turned. "What do You really want, Han, to bury her or fly her again?"

As she walked to the door, she looked back. Han was still sprawled against the ramp, but with a sigh, he slowly looked up at his ship.

Luke met her as she reentered the temple.

"So?" Luke asked, falling in step beside her.

"He'll do it," Leia answered. "Though it might take a bit to get her off the ground."

"If anyone can get the Falcon in the air again," Luke smiled, "Han Solo can."


	7. Chapter 6

6.

Sala readied her training saber and watched the small remote as it floated near her. To her right, Luke leaned back against the wall, watching her. The two had spent the entire morning training in a room that once held various artifacts collected by the previous Jedi. Now, Luke had converted it to a training room.

The remote spun, and with an electronic hiss, it dove down and fired a stun bolt that caught Sala in the leg. She stumbled back, falling to one knee, but she managed to block the next bolt with her saber. The remote darted from side to side, firing bolt after bolt. Sala ducked and rolled to her side to dodge the blasts, stopping only when one struck her shoulder, sending her rolling into the wall.

Catching her breath, she looked up to see the drone floating over her. It fired several blasts at once, and she managed to deflect them away from her. However, her attempt sent the blasts into the walls, with one hitting a small statue and sending it tumbling off a platform, shattering when it hit the floor.

Luke turned to look at the shattered remains, and Sala stood, bracing herself.

"You've trained well with your reflexes, and your ability to sense your surroundings is excellent," Luke said. He turned to her, smiling. "But we must work on improving your aim."

"I'm sorry, Master," Sala said. "I'll pay to have it replaced."

"These are all just cheap decorations I bought to brighten things up," Luke said as he started cleaning up the pieces. Deactivating her saber, Sala helped him.

Tossing the remaining pieces in the trash compactor, Luke turned and led Sala out of the temple. "I think now would be a great time for a break. Let's take a little walk."

It was a typical morning on the planet, cool and sunny. Luke chose a walkway that took them away from most of the bustling crowds.

"I chose to keep the Jedi at the old temple so we could be part of the Republic. I wanted an alliance between the Jedi and the Senate, rather than our being separate organizations."

He stopped, looking to several buildings in the distance. "Sometimes it helps to have an outsider's view to help you gain insight."

"But if they aren't trained like Jedi, how can they tell us if we're making mistakes?" Sala asked.

"I learned a long time ago," Luke answered, "that using the Force doesn't put you above others. Everyone and everything is a student and everyone and everything is a teacher."

"Master Gesna and the rock," Sala said with a nod.

Luke smiled. "Ah, so you are paying attention, good."

As they continued walking, Luke pointed to a tall pillar in the distance, just past the senate building. "That's the Pillar of Peace. After the fall of Emperor Palpatine, members of races from all parts of the galaxy worked together to build it. Since then, people travel to it everyday to sign the pledge."

"The Pledge?" Sala asked.

"The Pledge that we would no longer enslave or assault each other, that no race or group is superior to an other. We made one promise; that we are all equal."

"I hope we continue to keep that promise," Sala said.

"So do I," Luke agreed.

As they passed a series of apartments, Sala thought for a moment. "Master, may I ask a question?"

"Please," Luke said.

"Are all Jedi trained in the same manner?"

"Of course not," Luke answered. "Different students, different Masters, different training methods. I care more that they reach the same goal."

"What goal is that?" Sala asked.

Luke answered, "Learning to use your abilities without harming yourself or others. I'm sure in the past, you've done things out of impulse, possibly acting through fear or anger."

"Well, maybe once or twice," Sala responded, her eyes falling to the pavement.

"We all have," Luke said honestly. "And you've seen the damage that causes. Imagine doing that while being able to manipulate your surroundings." He looked pale for a moment. "And losing your temper becomes a lot more dangerous. That is the real trap of the dark side, not controlling the Force, but using it when You are not in control."

He stopped and looked at her. "That's why I have every Jedi in training pushed so hard. It's not about controlling the Force. It's about controlling yourself, no matter how terrified or furious you feel."

They started walking back to the temple. "You will make lots of mistakes, Sala. I know from experience. Just be aware of them, learn from them, so you won't repeat them."

"Guess I have a lot of learning to get through," Sala observed.

"The first step to learning," Luke corrected her, "is knowing you'll never be through."

As the walked past a hanger, Sala began asking, "Master, do-"

She was cut off by an explosion from inside the hanger. Both spun around to see Han and Lando scrambling outside as black clouds of smoke followed. Han slammed a fist on the switch, and the door slammed shut. Both men fell back against the hanger wall, gasping for breath.

"Are you all right?" Sala asked, making both men jump.

"Yeah Sala, we're fine," Lando said. "We just had to take a little break."

"How are the repairs coming?" Luke asked.

"Oh right on schedule." Another explosion from inside immediately followed Han's answer. "Okay, maybe we're a day or two behind, but we're almost there."

"Yeah, nothing to worry about," Lando added, right before alarms inside sounded. "You two just go about your training. We'll handle this."

As several rescue craft landed at the hanger and emergency personnel ran in to help, Luke and Sala returned to the temple, and Sala remembered her previous question.

"Master, do you have all Jedi go through the same test you put me through?"

Luke thought for a moment. "I try to do something similar with most new Jedi. I just want to see how you react, inside and out. It also helped me understand the best ways to have you trained."

"Well if I may ask," Sala said. "How did Jiias do when you first trained him?"

"Oh, Luke chuckled, "he failed miserably."


	8. Chapter 7

7.

General Krell, dressed in a dark green flight suit, stepped into the ship's conference room and looked to those seated around the room.

"Okay, here's the mission." He walked to a platform in the center of the room and pressed a button. A hologram of a city appeared.

He pointed to a large, dome-shaped building. "The Senate meets here. We'll drive them deeper inside so they can't react. Next, we'll take out the hanger and apartments."

His eyes narrowed. "Then we'll hit the Jedi Temple." Krell didn't smile, but there was no missing the satisfaction in his eyes. "Now the building itself resists a lot of punishment, even from your missiles.

Looking up, he addressed the troops in the hologram. "That's where the ground team comes in. When Lord Rasur gives the signal. You'll attack the temple itself, and everyone inside."

"Including the children?" one hologram soldier asked.

"They're Jedi!" He snapped, causing even those in the hologram to jump. Waving one hand around, he said, "With a simple gesture, even the little ones can lift you and send you crashing to the wall in pieces!" He slammed his fist against the table, again startling everyone who watched. "Don't ever forget that!"

He took a deep breath, and then looked back to those in the room. "As for the rest of you, if you see anyone or anything not belong to the Neks outside the temple, train your ship's weapons on them. That goes for men, women, children, and droids. If they don't respond to our signal, they're a target."

"But those weapons are designed for other vehicles. Isn't using them on people overkill?"

"If they're not us," Krell answered, turning to the pilot. "take no chances."

He looked back at the room. "I've already sent you specific targets for each of your flights. I'll lead the Bloods as usual, and we'll cover your skulls so you can make your hits. Any questions?"

Another pilot stood. "Sir, even with Blood Flight covering, we're still sitting dralluks for their defenses."

"Don't worry about their defenses," Krell said. "Lord Rasur and I have one other surprise planned."


	9. Chapter 8

8.

Rubbing her shoulders, Sala entered the atrium. The large room with a domed glass ceiling and filled with various plants contained a number of Jedi seated in a circle below the stars. Sala knew this well, every night, Jedi would meditate together, reaching out and helping one another find peace. The group meditations were never required, and no one frowned on those who preferred not to participate.

Many Jedi also used the time to reach out and feel each other's pain and a rough day of training. Although Sala had joined in on several of these, she decided to sit this one out. Although she had endured several weeks of intense training that had pushed her physically and mentally to limits she never knew she had, sitting was the last thing on her mind. Of course, the fact that her backside throbbed from another training saber session that went anywhere but well didn't help.

Sala walked through the atrium until the outside breeze hit her face. Formerly, this was a landing pad for smaller Jedi ships, but Master Skywalker had it converted to a large balcony overlooking the city.

Despite the time of night, the lights and sounds below were as noisy as the middle of day. Sala reached out, sensing the various lives below. Countless lives, going through their routines, some happily, others suffering. she felt for them all, even those she couldn't see.

Looking down, she saw Jiias sitting on the edge of the platform, hands in his lap, legs dangling over the sides as he looked out over the city.

"Oh, sorry," Sala said. "I didn't see you there."

"This is not mine," Jiias said, "just my preferred place to sit."

"Yeah, I've never seen you sit in the atrium with the others."

"Too quiet," Jiias answered.

"Isn't that how you're supposed to meditate, in a quiet atmosphere?"

Jiias shrugged. "Probably."

Sala turned and looked out over the city. "Besides, how can you focus and find peace with all the bright lights and noise?"

"It forces me to focus," Jiias answered. "Only way I really can find peace."

Sala nodded. "Well, Master Skywalker said different methods for different people."

"That I did," Luke said, stepping onto the balcony.

"Master," Sala said, turning to face him. "I didn't see you approach."

Luke looked over the city. "It's easy to be distracted by all of this." He turned to her. "Sala, may I have a moment with Jiias, please?"

"Of course, Master. Jiias." Sala nodded her head to them and left.

Luke looked out over the city again. "A rather quiet night."

"Than usual," Jiias agreed.

Turning back to his student, Luke said, "Jiias, I have a favor to ask you. This is not an order, and you're free to say no, but I could use your help with this, my friend."

Jiias stood up, landing before Luke. "What do you need?"


	10. Chapter 9

9.

"Hey Luke, we got her up and running, and right on time!" Han lowered himself from the opening to the landing gear as Luke approached. He ran a cloth over his face and tossed it into a nearby toolbox. "As soon as Lando says goodbye to his daughter, we're out of here."

Luke glanced up at the Falcon. "Nice work, Han. She doesn't look much different after all these years."

"And she's just as fast too, junior," Han said, picking up his jacket.

"I'll believe it," Luke said. "You're still going to Corellia after you drop Lando off?"

Han started toward the landing ramp. "Yeah, I figure Wedge might shed some light on this Krell person and his gang."

"I'm surprised you didn't ask Leia to come along with you, or are you afraid Lando will spend the trip charming her?"

Han frowned. "Very funny. To be honest, I've been too busy here to talk with her, well since she volunteered me for this little mission."

She's been avoiding you too, Luke thought. How tragic that his sister and best friend were clashing, all because Han felt he was the only one standing still while the rest of the galaxy moved forward. Of course, Leia was being just as stubborn.

"I was thinking, Han, you could use a Jedi to help you dig up some information."

"Great idea, Luke," Lando said as he entered the hanger. "just like old times!".

Han brightened. "I wouldn't want it any other way, kid. Welcome aboard!"

"Sorry," Luke said, "but the Council and I are meeting with Gallus when he returns in a few days. But was thinking my apprentice could join you instead."

"Aulric?" Han said. "Sure, he's just like you, and great for conversation."

"Aulric doesn't return from his trip until tomorrow night."

"Then who else-" Han shook his head. "No, not that kid."

"Works for me," Lando said as he started up the ramp, "as long as he doesn't blow up any more ships."

"Luke," Han protested, "I don't think this is a good idea. Can't we just wait a day for Aulric or something?"

"What's the problem?" Luke asked.

Just then, Jiias entered the hanger. Han turned so he was facing away from the younger Jedi and lowered his voice. "Kid, no offense but he creeps me out."

"He's loyal," Luke said. "He won't let me down."

"I hope you're right."

Luke turned to Jiias. "Right on time." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Jiias, again thank you for doing this."

Jiias nodded his head. "Master."

Han turned back and cleared his throat. "So, kid, I hope you don't mind, but since we finally got the Falcon back together again, I'd like to test her a bit." He added a little cockiness to his voice. "You know, a couple barrel rolls, some flips, a few nose dives. You up for all that?"

Jiias looked up to the ship for a moment and nodded. "Whatever you feel you need to do, Captain."

"Hey," Luke said. "Why weren't you that calm when I performed those maneuvers?"

Jiias looked at him in horror. "You performed those maneuvers in a speeder."

"Well let's get going," Lando said, "before the glue holding the Falcon together dries and cracks."

Han turned and glared at him. "One more remark like that and something's gonna crack."

They boarded the ship, and Luke watched as it lifted off, for the first time in years. At first, Han seemed to fly the ship cautiously, then suddenly, it bolted into the sky, spinning like a top as it flew.

Luke could almost hear Han shouting, "Yahoo!"


	11. Chapter 10

10.

Darth Rasur studied the image of the Emperor before a beeping from his chair interrupted him. Turning the holocron off, he pressed a switch, and the image of the Emperor was replaced by Krell.

The soldier stood holding his helmet, the fire in his eyes all too visible, even in the hologram. "We're leaving now. All troops ready for the assault."

"Two days ahead of our schedule," Rasur said as he watched him.

Krell's eyes narrowed. "Don't worry, Lord Rasur. I've been waiting a long time for this, and I don't intend to fail."

Rasur noticed immediately that Krell didn't end his sentence with, 'you.' The mission was much more than simply an assignment he was ordered to perform. "Just make sure you focus on your objective."

"Oh, I'm focusing on my objective," Krell said with contempt in his voice. "I've been focusing on it for the past few years, and I'll be focusing on my objective when I drop a great big bomb on its ugly head."

"Good," Rasur replied. "The troops you sent me are also ready. With the Senate and Jedi crushed, the rest will think twice about their alliance, so be ready." This time it was Rasur who narrowed his eyes. "I don't want that treaty signed."

"It won't be," Krell promised, "not over my dead body. I've been waiting a long time for this."

Deactivating Krell's image, Darth Rasur turned his chair to look at the trophies he collected over the years, his eyes stopping on the lightwhip and the Bryar pistol displayed on the wall.

"We both have."


	12. Chapter 11

11.

Coronet, the capital city of Corellia, bustled with ships taking off and landing, and filling the sky with crafts of every shape and size.

In the office of General Wedge Antilles, leader of Corellian defense, met Han Solo and Jiias. Except for his gray hair, Wedge still looked like the young pilot who flew with Luke against the first Death Star and Lando against the second.

Wedge looked at a monitor on his desk while it brought up various data. "Nevet Krell? Haven't heard that name in a while, but here he is." He brought up an image on the screen.

Han looked closer. "Oh yeah, now I remember him. Didn't we kick him out of Corellian Defense for shooting his squadmate?"

"That's him," Wedge said. "They got into a firefight with some thugs, and his squadmate got caught in the middle."

Han nodded. "And Krell just shot right through him. He didn't even bother finding another way."

"He didn't seem too concerned about his actions either. Well, until we discharged him." Wedge looked again at the screen. "Look at his last report; short temperament, lack of empathy, general lack of concern for the safety of those around him."

"Yeah, a real people person," Han grumbled. "So what about these Neks."

Wedge looked up. "During the war, we had serious problems with leadership going into hiding. I think that went on everywhere."

"Pretty much," Han agreed.

Wedge continued, "At the time, the Neks were just some gang that appeared to be defending people. Since we were looking for any help we could find, we outfitted them."

Han looked up. "Outfitted them with what?"

Wedge punched some keys on the screen and new information appeared. "Blasters, fuel, a cruiser, E-Wing Fighters-"

Han's face went white. "You gave them E-Wings?"

Wedge held his hand up in defense. "Hey, calm down. I didn't even know about it until now. But apparently, we did."

Han turned and looked out the window. "Great, so we have a mental case leading a gang who's using weapons and ships we gave them." He sighed. "So what happened to them?"

Glancing down at the screen again, Wedge said, "Well, Krell and most of them simply vanished a couple years ago. No one has seen or heard from them since."

"Some remain here," Jiias said.

Both men turned to look at the boy. Han, for his part, actually forgot he was in the room. "How do you know that?"

Jiias stared out the window. "A lot of anger," he finally said. "The same kind I felt on the station."

"Well, a lot of people here oppose that Alliance treaty," Wedge said.

"This is different," Jiias said. "It feels like great anger felt by few."

Han looked at Wedge. "You might still have Neks here. It might be worth taking a look."

"Agreed," Wedge said. "Time to do a little detective work."

A few hours later, the three entered a bar in one of the lower parts of the city.

"I can tell I'm not as young as I used to be," Han said. "I suddenly feel nervous."

"I'd feel a little better if I had my squadron along," Wedge agreed.

"I'd feel better with just Chewie," Han said. "How about you, kid? You all right?"

Jiias, meanwhile, was taking in all the sights, seemingly without concern. "Master Paacence once mentioned plants that actually turned toward the sun, but that was the first time I saw them actually move."

"Let me guess," Han said. "You and Luke have seen seedier places than this."

Jiias shrugged. "Many here survive this way because they see no other alternative. Few seem to seek aggression."

"Well those few are the ones we're concerned about," Han said as he walked to the bar's counter.

The bartender turned to Han and Wedge. "What'll it be, strangers?"

"Info," Han answered. "Some thug made off with my credit chips. I saw him run this way."

The bartender eyed him suspiciously. "What'd he look like?"

Han looked to Wedge, who shrugged. "He wore a flight cap, but he had scars on his face and some kind of dog tattooed to his shoulder."

Eyes widening, the bartender muttered, "Neks?"

"Who's that?" Han asked, leaning closer.

Shaking his head, the bartender walked away. "Nothing, look either order something or leave. I'll be back when you decide."

"Well something spooked him," Wedge said, watching the bartender.

Han nodded. "Yeah, the question is, what?"

"Captain," Jiias suddenly said, "danger."

"Where?"

"Right here, Solo."

Han and Wedge spun around to see several Nek thugs with blasters pointing to them. Han's fingers fell to his blaster, but one thug placed his blaster against the back of Jiias' neck. "Don't do it, Captain."

Han tried to relax, or at least look relaxed. "You know me?"

The thug chuckled. "You think Han Solo and Wedge Antilles can just walk in here without us noticing?"

"Where's Krell?"

"Not here, obviously," the thug closest to Han said. "But he gave orders to deal with you for him. Now hands up."

The three slowly raised their hands. Han hated feeling helpless like this. He looked around the room and counted eight thugs total. Five were guarding him, four were guarding Wedge and one was threatening the kid. Not bad odds, but it only took one to pull the trigger.

"You do realize," Wedge said, "that killing us is going to get you noticed.

The lead thug snorted. "When you disappear, no one'll be any wiser."

The thug holding his pistol to Jiias head laughed. "So, boy, do you see a happy ending in this?"

"Not particularly," Jiias answered.

Why is the kid so calm, Han thought. Then he noticed Jiias was slowly turning one hand so his palm faced the thug. "Good luck with that. I've lived with a price on my head before."

The thug looked at Han. "They're stupid. They should've killed you when-"

Suddenly, Jiias raised his head, looking straight up, and the thug's blaster pointed the same way, firing into the ceiling. He then spun and drove his other palm at the thug's chest, sending the man flying across the room. Wedge dove behind a table, while Han whipped his blaster out and dropped the two closest thugs. Spinning, Jiias waved his hand, causing bottles to fly in the faces of two other thugs. Using the table for cover, Wedge blasted a thug in the chest, and Han dropped another with a headshot.

Jiias turned to see one final thug standing before him. The thug slammed his bottle against the table, shattering it, and held the broken shard menacingly toward the boy. He the noticed the lightsaber in the boy's hand, and seeing the white blade come to life, he threw the shard aside and raced for the door.

Lowering his weapon, Jiias held his hand out, and the thug was sent crashing into the side of the doorway. Slowly, the three of them looked over the room, preparing for any other sneak attacks.

Seeing none, Han holstered his blaster and turned to Jiias. "You okay, kid?"

Jiias turned off his lightsaber and replaced on in his forearm sheath. "Unfortunately, this may be all they have here."

"Unfortunately?" Wedge asked.

"I think he means Krell's got his army somewhere else."

Wedge knelt down over the fallen thug. "Well, considering he's the only one still alive, I say we pick this one to question."


	13. Chapter 12

12.

"His name's Glunt," Wedge said to Han as they looked over the remaining Nek thug, now sitting in a Corellian Security interrogation room. "Apparently, they were also told to set a trap for you." He smiled. "I guess that didn't go as well as they hoped."

Han watched through the window. "Yeah, and I'd like to know how they found out I'd be here."

The interrogator entered the room.

"Did you get anything else out of him, Roan?"

Roan shook his head. "He's not cooperating. He just said they're supposed to kill Solo when he got here."

Han looked at him. "What about Krell?"

Roan shrugged. "Not a word. He didn't even respond to threats. Maybe I need to keep my promise."

Wedge shook his head. "I'd rather you not use force unless absolutely necessary."

"Well then," Roan said. "there's your other option."

"What option?" Wedge asked.

Roan motioned with his head to Jiias. "Send the Jedi in."

Jiias turned to look at Roan.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Han said.

"Also," Jiias said, "I am only an apprentice."

Roan held his hands up. "Well I'm out of options, Wedge. You want to know what Krell is up to, you better think of something." He looked back at the thug sitting in the other room. "And if he helped you take out a room full of thugs, he might be able to at least shake this guy up."

Wedge turned to Han. "It's up to you two. What do you think?"

Han glanced to the thug, then to Jiias. "It's up to you, kid. Think you can get anything out of him?"

Noticing everyone was looking at him, Jiias turned to the thug, then back to them. "I will do what I can."

As he entered the room, Han said, "Just don't hurt him." Ignoring Han, Jiias closed the door and, locking eyes with Glunt, he walked over and sat before him.

"So, they sent the Jedi kid," Glunt said with a smirk. "Good luck with that, brat."

For a moment, Jiias just stared at him. Then he said. "You were sent by General Krell."

Glunt smugly leaned back in his chair. "Who?"

"Thank you," Jiias said as Glunt gave him a puzzled look. "Krell sent you to kill Captain Solo."

"I never said that," Glunt responded.

Jiias nodded. "Again, thank you."

Glunt sat up in his chair. "I didn't say anything."

"You did." Jiias paused for a moment. "General Antilles gave Krell and the Neks weapons and ships. Where are they?"

Throwing his hands in the air, Glunt scoffed. "What ships? What weapons?"

Jiias stared at Glunt for a moment, then again nodded, "Exactly."

Glunt suddenly lost his smug demeanor. "What are you trying some Jedi mind trick on me?"

Jiias tilted his head slightly. "Those only work on the feeble-minded. At the beginning of our discussion, you pointed out that you were strong enough to resist it."

"That's right," the thug said. "I am." He grinned. "Nice try, kid. What else you got?"

"If you really are as strong," Jiias continued, "I would not be able to enter your mind, to delve deep into your thoughts, and to dig sharply through your memories for information about General Krell." He paused for a moment. "Or his hidden base."

Glunt frowned. "I never said a word about Krell's base."

"Are you certain?" Jiias asked.

"I know I didn't."

"Did you not?"

"Forget it, kid, I'm not talking."

"Krell's base is not here."

Glunt started to sweat. "I didn't-"

"It is on another world."

"No, he doesn't-"

Leaning forward, Jiias narrowed eyes, staring into Glunt's. "Where is Krell's base?"

Trembling, Glunt tried to lean as far back in his chair as he could, but he couldn't move. And he couldn't break the boy's glare. "No, no."

"Where is Krell's base?" Jiias repeated.

Glunt brought his hands to his head. "What are you doing? Stop! Please! Stop!"

"That's enough, kid," Han said, entering the room with Wedge and Roan.

Jiias ignored him. "Where is Krell's base?"

"No," Glunt cried, "Stop! Get out!"

"Jiias, stop it, now!" Han placed his hand on Jiias' shoulder, but the boy was like a statue, frozen in his trance-like state.

Jiias deepened his voice, his eyes glaring like flames. "Where is Krell's base?"

After a minute of complete silence, Glunt burst into tears. "Alyor! It's a mining colony just outside the Pastil Sector!"

"Any other questions, Captain Solo?" Jiias asked, eyes still locked with Glunt's.

"No, kid, that's enough."

Nodding Jiias turned and stood up. Glunt suddenly collapsed against the table, trembling as he coughed. As he got to the door, Jiias turned to a shocked Roan. "He should rest, then he will recover."

An hour later, Han and Jiias returned to the Falcon. Since the interrogation, Han hadn't said a word to the boy. In fact, no one had, save for thanking him for his help. Even Wedge though was shaken by what they all saw.

As they walked to the Falcon's cockpit, Han decided he couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Look, kid, I know you were only doing what Wedge and Roan asked, but I gotta admit, I'm not too comfortable about you using the Force to rip a guy's mind apart."

He almost expected the boy to respond with hurt feelings or insisting that Han, who had no Force experience, should mind his own business. Instead, Jiias nodded. "Agreed, which is why I never learned to use it."

Han stopped and looked at him. "You mean you never got good at it?"

"I never learned to use it at all," Jiias answered.

"Then what the hell was all that?" Han asked, pointing back where they'd walked from.

Jiias looked up at Han. "He merely thought I had affected his mind and panicked. I acted accordingly and guided him until he revealed what you really wanted from him."

Han could only stare wide-eyed at the kid. "So you bluffed him?"

Shrugging, Jiias said, "If you feel I acted in a way Master Skywalker would disapprove, I will admit to my actions when we return."

Han shook his head. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. I just, you didn't learn that from Luke. What were you doing before he found you?"

"I grew up in the streets, hiding from darksiders who had hunted my grandfather and parents," Jiias answered.

Slumping in the pilot's seat, Han nodded. "I'm sorry kid. I know how it feels to lose those you care about."

Jiias sat in one of the passenger chairs. "Looking back helps no one. All we can do is here those who are with us now."

"Good point." Han turned and looked out the cockpit window. "Well, I guess we should return home so they can find Krell's base."

"We are not going?" Jiias asked.

Covering his face with his hands, Han sighed. "I'm not as young as I used to be, kid. There's only so much I can do anymore. Time to let the kids be the heroes."

Jiias stared silently into space for a moment. "We must go."

"Yeah," Han said, "right. Let's get home so Luke can-"

"To the base," Jiias said, cutting him off. "We must go, now."

Han looked at him. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I am not sure, but someone is in danger."

"Well yeah," Han said. "A lot of people are in danger. That's why we have to tell Luke-"

"Master Skywalker would help, but we have no time." Something in Jiias' voice was urgent. He even seemed concerned. "We must go to the base, immediately."

"You sure you can't see anything any more clearer?" Han asked.

"I would tell you if I did."

Han hesitated. The kid wasn't giving him much to work with, but he saw more than once that Jedi like Luke tended to be right about their feelings. So that was it, just him and the kid, an old man and a Jedi in training, flying to a base where Krell kept his weapons, ships, and army.

Punching the coordinates into the computer, Han flew the Falcon into Corellia's atmosphere. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"As do I," Jiias responded.

"Kid, you're not helping.


	14. Chapter 13

13.

Luke, Leia and Aulric, along with Masters Tasni, Shiee, and Amiscus, sat in the Senate office, across from Chief of State Gallus, Captain Kozal, and several senators. The meeting had entered its second hour of debates, and even Leia was starting to roll her eyes in frustration.

"Master Skywalker," Senator Lott of Drall said, "aren't you training new Jedi?"

Luke turned to the senator. "I'm actually training just one at the moment. I just decided to give her a day to rest."

"Back on topic," Gallus said, "Admiral Warren have just completed our tour of the core worlds, doing our best to ensure the galaxy that this Galactic Alliance is necessary if we are all to survive."

"I'm sure no one doubts that it's needed," Kozal said, his deep voice resonating through his breath mask. "The problem, which I know many agree with, is trusting the Empire."

"Many in the Empire share your thoughts toward us," Gallus said, "but Admiral Warren and I agree, it's time to take those steps forward."

"I think we're all just tired of hating each other as well," Leia said. "Or are you just wishing for another war, Captain?"

If Kozal was offended, he hid it well. "Of course I don't want another war. No one does. But have you forgotten this is the same Empire that blew up your own planet?"

This time, Leia refused to take the bait. "No, I haven't forgotten. None of is will, ever. And you're wrong, this isn't the same Empire."

Kozal grunted. "And yet in the years since Endor, we've fought officers, warlords, anyone attempting to claim Palpatine's throne." He raised a fist, extending a finger with each name. "Zsing, Isard, Dalla, Thrawn. How do we know Warren's any different?"

"I've spent over a year speaking with Admiral Warren," Gallus said. "He's as tired of this war as the rest of us. He wants to move forward, and so do I."

"And what of those within the Empire besides Warren?" Lott asked. "All I hear from them is protests from Ssurg's people."

"We've covered this enough times," Gallus said, straining to keep his composure. "Ssurg is the Imperial Minister of Defense. He controls a sector or two at the edge of the Empire and spends his time researching technology for them. He's just one voice, and the only reason you keep hearing it is so the holo-news reporters can have something to throw at you!"

He took a deep breath and turned. "What do the Jedi think of this alliance?"

"I can't speak for all the Jedi," Luke said, "but we fought together during the Vong wars. I trust Warren and feel he wants this as much as the rest of us."

"Master Shiee and I were padawan learners when Palpatine assumed the throne," Tansi said. "We saw more than our share of bloodshed, and I'm not so certain we've seen the last."

Shiee cut in. "However, neither of us sense any deceit from Warren or danger from this alliance."

"I was basically born, orphaned, and grew up during the war," Aulric said. "Who really wants to live in a world with that much violence and hatred? How many of us really-"

Amiscus suddenly began chittering in his language, racing to the window.

"He said we are in danger," C9, Amiscus' droid translated.

Kozal threw a hand up. "Finally, someone agrees."

Amiscus chittered again, turning to face the group. C9 spoke up again. "He means we are in danger now."

Gallus' desk com suddenly beeped. He turned it on to reveal a holo of a soldier. "Sir," the soldier said. "A Savage-Class cruiser just appeared out of hyperspace and collided with our orbital platform."

"Why didn't sensors pick it up before?" Gallus asked.

"We don't know sir. Something's jamming our . . . . we're picking up over a hundred E-Wing fighters entering our atmosphere!"

"Launch Red and Green Squadrons. That few fighters shouldn't be a problem."

"Already scrambled sir," the soldier replied.

Everyone stood and stepped to the window as X-Wing and A-Wing fighters took off from their hanger and lifted off into the sky.

"This should be a short fight," Gallus said.

Moments later, the soldier reappeared in the holo. "Sir, they're gone!"

Gallus turned to the soldier's image. "What do you mean, 'Gone?'"

"They just . . . vanished, sir."

"What were they," Gallus asked, "an illusion?"

He looked back out the window as they all stared at the sky. They could see the ships from Red and Green Squadron but nothing else. For several more moments, the room was silent.

Suddenly, Luke yelled, "They're cloaked!" He leaped away from the window and pushed Gallus out of the way. The Jedi did the same for the senators as laserblasts suddenly struck the window.

Sala sat at the edge of the balcony platform, forcing her mind to find peace despite the bustling of the city in the distance. Jiias had somehow found a way to calm his mind in spite of all the distractions, but she had yet to master it. After what felt like an eternity of attempts though, she finally stopped trying to force the lights and noise out of her mind and just observed it. Whenever a noise or object distracted her, she noted it and returned to emptying her mind. Instead of fighting it, she simply allowed it to flow in and out of her view.

Which is why she noticed the fighters lifting off with mere curiosity. They were looking for something, and were in a hurry to find it. A few moments later, the fighters dropped back down, and flew in strange formations, as if the object of their search had vanished. It was quite a bizarre sequence-

Suddenly alarms blared, not on the ground, but in her head. Without even thinking, she rolled backward, leapt to her feet, and raced to the building. She had just passed through the doorway when lasers blasted the platform behind her to pieces.


	15. Chapter 14

14.

"Power's flickering," Han said as the Falcon hovered over a barren landing pad. During their first fly-by, they had noticed lights fading out over the station. "You wouldn't happen to sense anyone nearby."

Jiias stared out the canopy window. "Not close to here. Perhaps they are on the other side of the station."

"Hopefully," Han said. They landed the ship and exited into the station.

Walking through a hallway, Han found a path that branched into several hallways. "Where is everyone?"

Jiias turned his head, looking down each path. Pointing down one, he said, "A small group is that way.."

"And you don't sense anyone else?" Han asked. "An ambush or something?"

"Not close enough to be an immediate threat." the boy answered.

"I'll guess we'll just have to chance it then." Reaching into his pocket, he tossed Jiias a communicator. Jabbing a thumb down one path, he said, "I'll go this way; you check the other. Let me know if you find anything."

"Understood," Jiias said, and started down the hallway.

Jiias traveled down the hallway, finding several crates on the sides of the walls. "Captain Solo," he said, "I found crates with blaster rifles in them. They must be for a future assault."

"It's possible," Han said. "But the question is, what are they doing now?"

Staring into the dimly-lit darkness of the hallway, Jiias reached out to the Force, but to his surprise, the Force responded suddenly, in the same manner as before. It sounded through his head like alarms, louder than before they had arrived, and more urgent. Following the path, he stopped before one door that was locked electronically. Normally, this would've held back most people, but Master Skwalker had shown Jiias how to use the Force to bypass locks.

Staring intently at the door, he reached out and found the electronics inside. Using the Force, unplugged the wires keeping the lock in place. With the a clicking sound, the door opened.

Jiias entered what looked like an office, with a desk at the center of the room, various sketches on the wall, and several datapads laying on the desk itself. "Captain Solo," He said, "I found Krell's office."

"Hey, you cheated!" Han said over the communicator. "I don't have the Force to help me."

Since the only light in the room was coming from a blinking green light on the wall, Jiias found a switch and lit up the room. He returned to the desk and looked over the datapads.

"Captain, according to this, Krell ordered power conserved in most of the station until he returned."

"Returned from where?"

Jiias continued reading. "He is leading a group called, 'Blood Squadron' to attack the Senate and Jedi Temple."

"Great," Han said, "That explains why this place seems deserted. I guess we just missed them."

"We should warn Master Skywalker," Jiias said.

"We can do that from the Falcon." Han said, "But I have a feeling they already know by now."

"Agreed." Jiias examined another datapad. "It also looks like planned his attacks according to where the Jedi and Senate would be at a specific time."

"That doesn't make any sense," Han said. "Krell doesn't have the Force. How could he know what to attack and when?"

"I cannot-" Jiias looked up at the wall with the blinking green light and froze. "Captain Solo, you need to get here as quickly as possible."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"On the wall," Jiias said, "is a Wookie frozen in Carbonite."


	16. Chapter 15

15.

Luke and Aulric helped Gallus through the hallway as his office and the adjoining rooms vanishes in clouds of fire. Leia, Kozal, and the Masters helped the other senators escape, though out of the 12, 8 were lost in the explosion.

"Didn't you sense anything?" Gallus asked as they ran down a flight of stairs.

Luke shook his head. "It's strange, but it's like a void between them and us."

Another explosion sent them flying off their feet. Kozal pushed Leia out of the way and pulled his pistol out, pointing in the direction they just ran from.

"I don't think that's going to help much," Leia said, grabbing his arm as they continued running.

Kozal shrugged and followed her. "Old habits."

Luke pulled out his communicator. "C3PO, meet us in the Chief's chambers with R2."

"We are on our way, Master Luke," C3PO replied.

A few minutes later, they entered the chambers. Luke immediately ran to one wall, which held several computers and monitors. "Do these connect to the outside?"

"Of course," Gallus answered, stopping beside him. He pressed several buttons, and the monitors showed the city, with several buildings smoking as lasers blasted them.

"Those ships are cloaked," Leia said.

In his fighter, Krell grinned as another torpedo struck the senate building, obliterating an office. With their ships cloaked, enemy fights were scrambling to find their targets, while Krell's squadron was picking them off one or two at a time.

"Blood Two to Blood Leader," Harn, Krell's second in command said.

"What is it, Two?"

The voice sounded way too enthusiastic for someone in the middle of battle. "Just thought you'd like to know we can listen in on their chatter."

Krell chuckled. They were, after all, in Republic ships. Of course they could listen in on the enemy. "Frequency?"

"ESB5," Harn said. "Turns out they're not too happy about us blasting them to bits." Harn spun his fighter around, chasing an A-Wing. Closing in, he opened fire and laughed as the pilot screamed he was hit before his craft exploded. "That's 2 so far, Leader."

"I'm at 17, not counting the holes I punched in the Senate," Krell responded. He pressed a button on his helmet com. "Lord Rasur, send them in."

"Luke," Leia said, "they have ground troops!"

Gallus pressed several button. "I've dispatched troops of our own to intercept. Where are they headed?"

Leia turned pale. "The temple."

Luke turned to Aulric. "We've got to get over there."

"But they're still blasting buildings apart," Aulric said.

"Master Luke, here we are," C3PO said as he and R2D2 entered the chambers.

Luke turned to the droids. "R2, get over here and slice into the coms for those apartments. 3PO, start evacuating people."

C3PO looked at Luke. "But sir, I am a protocol droid, not a-"

"You're programmed to talk to people," Leia cut him off. "So start talking!"

She, Luke, and Aulric raced out the door.

Gallus turned to Tansi. "We need to send out a distress signal."

Tansi and Shiee walked over to the computer. "We'll help any way we can," he said.

Sala ran through the passageway as explosions shook the temple. She rounded a corner when she crashed into two soldiers, one with a large gray head and large dark eyes and the other, a skeleton-like creature. Both wore orange coveralls and were armed with blaster pistols. Falling back, she let out a scream.

"Oh good a Jedi," the skeleton-like alien said. Do you know how to get out of here?"

Sala blinked. "What?"

The large-headed alien lowered his weapon. "We got separated from our group during the attack."

"Who are you?" Sala asked.

"Apologies," the large-headed alien said. "I'm Fiz Ichabel and this is my wing, Narth Chrag. We're members of Hammer Squadron."

"Sala Calrissian." Narth helped Sala to her feet. "Sorry about the screaming. If you're pilots, what're you doing in the temple?"

"One of our squad members is friends with some of your Jedi. She wanted to speak with them, and we just wandered off." Fiz said.

"We tend to get bored easily," Narth added. "Are you hurt?"

Sala shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I just need to find any other Jedi here."

"There you are!" A female cat-like pilot in the same jumpsuit ran over to them. "What happened?"

"Sorry, Nia," Fiz said. "We wandered a little and got lost. Then we started hearing the explosions."

"Well you've wandered enough," she said. "Captain Kozal is calling for us to meet him at the hanger, immediately." Nia turned to Sala. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," Sala answered. "I have to go see if anyone's still around.

Nia waved the other two in her direction. "Let's go, soldiers. Those thugs aren't going to shoot themselves."

"Right behind you," Narth said. He turned to Sala. "Be careful, Jedi Sala."

"You too, Narth, Fiz."

As she continued down the passageway, she heard Narth say to Fiz, "You scared her, you know."

"Like you have a winning appearance," Fiz replied.

Narth chuckled. "Don't be jealous of my stunningly attractive profile."

"Or stumblingly impressive self-image," Fiz shot back.

Several Republic solders entered the hanger when Nek troops started shooting at them.

"Ran, Arac," Wyn said, "cover the doors so they don't slip past us."

"How many you counting? Ran asked.

Arac perform a quick head count. "About two dozen, not counting the ones we vaped running in here."

They ducked behind the wall and exchanged blasterfire when Wyn took a look at their opponents. "Check out their helmets. Are those sensors on the sides?"

Arac peeked out. "Looks like cameras."

"Well that doesn't make any sense," Ran said. "Are they shooting a holo-film on this attac?"

Darth Rasur observed the various monitors before him. His eyes paused on one with three soldiers firing back. Watching the soldiers, one by one, he closed his hand into a fist.

Ran suddenly dropped his blaster and clutched his throat.

"Ran!" Wyn yelled as Ran fell to his knees directly in front of the Neks. The enemy troops wasted no time in blasting Ran in the chest. Suddenly, Arac too gripped his throat and stumbled in the line of fire. Wyn backed away behind the wall and started running. He nearly reached the door to the next room when he felt his throat tightening. Dropping his blaster, he turned to see the Neks standing there, all watching him as he fell to his knees. His last sight was several of them opening fire at the same time.


	17. Chapter 16

16.

"Did you just say a Wookie in Carbonite?"

"Correct," Jiias said.

Han's voice suddenly chilled. "I'll be right there."

The lights suddenly dimmed and the green light flickered. If the power went out before Captain Solo had arrived the life support wouldn't stay active. Jiias stepped forward and looked at the controls on the side of the carbonite slab. Deciding he couldn't wait, the boy pressed several buttons and turned a dial.

The slab hummed and the shape of the Wookie turned red. Jiias stepped back and watched as the carbonite melted, piece-by-piece. Finally, freed from the metal prison, the Wookie collapsed to the floor.

For a long moment, Jiias silently waited, then the Wookie, a young female slowly raised herself to all fours, couching and shaking her head. Jiias knelt down to help her. "You are safe now. Someone had trapped you in carbonite." He held her arm and helped her to her feet.

Suddenly, she grabbed Jiias by his shirt and, with a furious roar, shoved him across the room. He hit the wall and rolled to one knee as the Wookie began throwing clutter from the desk in all directions. Instinctively, he reached for his lightsaber, but he then stopped himself, remembering this Wookie was only hostile because she was disoriented after being trapped for some time.

Standing, Jiias watched as the Wookie looked left, then right, blinking with a growl. She stumbled, banging into the wall, then she turned and reached for the desk. Since she couldn't see, Jiias stayed out of her reach, at least until Captain Solo had arrived. Then the Wookie stopped and sniffed the air. She must have picked up the boy's scent because she planted two large furry hands on the desk, and, with a roar, hurled the desk in Jiias' direction.

He rolled out of the way, hitting the wall himself, and tried to pick up his communicator. "Captain Solo, please hurry."

The Wookie then grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground, squeezing. "Captain Solo," he choked, trying to remember Solo's first name, "Han!"

The Wookie stopped when he heard the name and dropped Jiias. He fell to the floor, gasping for air, and immediately stumbled backward. Seeing the huge shadow, he looked up to see her towering over him. But instead of attacking, she rumbled something that sounded like, 'Han.'

"I am here with Han Solo," Jiias said. The Wookie whimpered something, looking around. Jiias was not familiar with the Wookie language, but he was pretty sure she knew Solo in some way. Getting up, he caught her as she nearly collapsed again.

"You were frozen for some time," he said. "Allow yourself a chance to rest. My name is Jiias by the way."

She rumbled something in response as Jiias helped her to a nearby chair. To himself, Jiias thought, Master Skywalker, I believe I have finally passed your test.

The door to the office slid open and Han burst in. He stopped just before the two, looking from the melted slab on the wall, to them.

Noticing Han, Jiias said, "If the power faded while she was still trapped-"

The Wookie rumbled something and Han rushed forward, kneeling before her. "Kalthar?" Looking in Han's direction, she rumbled something, then Han leaned forward and hugged her. "Kalthar!" The two embraced, with tears streaming. "Oh, god, I thought I lost you too, sweetie!"

"You know her?" Jiias asked.

Pulling himself free, hand wiped his eyes. "Kalthar is my best friend's daughter. She disappeared a long time ago." He turned to her. "What happened?"

She growled something. "She said she crashed her ship here after her navcomputer blitzed. Next thing she knew, she was surrounded by some men with blasters." She rumbled something else. "And Krell? Wait, how did you know Krell?"

Kalthar answered with a growl and Han turned to Jiias. "He asked if she knew me, and when she answered, he shot her with a stun blast. That was the last thing she remembers," she whimpered something else. "except for-" He looked to the melted slab on the wall and went pale. Leaning over to her, he took her head in her arms. "It's okay, sweetie. I know."

Han turned back to the door, eyes suddenly narrow. "Hey kid, any way you can get someone to approach us?"

"You want one of them here?" Jiias asked.

Han nodded. "I have a few questions for them."

The three left the office and started down the hallway. Jiias stepped forward, motioning for Han and Kalthar to stop. He then continued forward until he was just out of sight. "Kid?" Han asked after nearly a minute.

Jiias returned a moment later. "A guard should investigate the noise shortly."

Kalthar rumbled something. "We didn't hear anything," Han said.

"He did," Jiias responded. "He approaches from around the corner."

"Just one?"

"Just one, more curious than concerned."

"Here, take her," Han said, handing Kalthar to Jiias. Stumbling under her wait, he had to call on the Force to help him hold her.

Pulling out his blaster, Han snuck to the corner. As soon as the guard reached it, Han threw him to the ground and slammed the barrel of his blaster into his face. The guard started to scream but stopped when Han shoved the blaster into his forehead.

"Okay pal," he said, "you want to tell me what happened to her?"

The guard turned his head. "The Wookie! It's free!"

Han slammed his blaster against the guard's head. "She's free, blockhead! Now what happened to her?"

The guard looked back at Han. "When General Krell learned that it . . . she knew you, he decided to freeze her as a trophy."

"A trophy?" Han lifted his blaster and punched the guard in the nose, breaking it. "She's a living being you slimy piece of trash! Did he happen to realize she'd die if the power went out here?"

Nodding, the guard said, "General Krell seemed most pleased about that. He said something about it being one step closer to revenge, against you and the Jedi."

Han punched the guard again. "Revenge for what?"

The guard spit out bloody teeth. "Revenge kicking him out of the war, for fighting without him, for stealing all of his glory. He said if you wouldn't let him be a hero, he'd make himself one at your expense."

"He's killing innocent people!" Han yelled. "That makes him a hero?"

The guard simply shrugged. Fuming, Han shoved the barrel of his blaster in the man's mouth, pulling on the trigger. He nearly fired a shot right through the guard's head when he stopped. He looked up at the other two. Kalthar watched with a gleam in her eye, but the boy's attention was on the hallway.

"Captain, someone heard you. Act quickly."

With a sigh, Han removed his blaster from the guard's mouth. The kid was a Jedi in training. The last thing he needed to learn was revenge. Switching his weapon to stun, Han stood and shot the guard. He switched it back and took Kalthar's arm. "Okay, let's move."

They traveled to where the hallway had originally forked when several more guards appeared nearby.

"Intruders!"

Without hesitation, Han fired, dropping three guards in mere seconds. He stepped away from Jiias and Kalthar and continued firing, both hands gripping his blaster as he dropped one guard after another. Screaming, he fired wildly, sending sparks all over the hallway. Turning his head, Jiias lifted his hand to a switch on the wall, and the blast doors shut, separating them from the guards.

Han spun around. "What the hell-"

"More approach, Captain. We should hurry."

Han snapped out of his fury. "Right, sorry." He helped Kalthar as they continued. Looking back at the body of the guards, all of whom Han had dropped with a single blast each, Jiias asked, "You said you were too old for this?"

"I'm feeling younger already!" Hearing commotion from the other side of the doors, Han lifted his blaster to point at the switch on the wall, but cursed when it sputtered. "Great I killed the battery."

Jiias pulled out his lightsaber when the blast doors slid open a crack. "We must hurry."

Han looked down the hallway. "We won't make it down the hallway in time. Any of those weapons crates nearby?"

Jiias looked around. "Only back where we came from."

Kalthar rumbled something. "Hell no, honey. I just got you back. I'm not leaving you behind."

Jiias looked down another hallway, then turned to Han. "Take her and get to your ship."

Han's eyes widened. "You can't take them all by yourself!"

"Nor do I plan to." He activated his lightsaber. "If they chase me, you will have more time. Now go."

As Han and Kalthar headed down a hallway, she rumbled something. "Luke trained him," Han said. After she rumbled something else, Han responded, "Yeah, no kidding."

Jiias turned to the blast doors as they slid open more. A guard started to squueze through, and he fired his blaster. Jiias deflected it and turned down an empty hallway. "Captain Solo, hurry!" He then raced down that direction.

He heard the doors slide open behind him, followed by someone yelling, "After them!" Jiias ran down the hallway, turning one sharp corner then another. He started to turn one more corner when he nearly ran right into a dead end. He spun around just as several guards reached him.

"I'm curious," one guard said. "What does a Jedi do when his epic plan fails?"

Staring at the flickering overhead light for a moment, Jiias closed his eyes. The light suddenly flashed, and the guards turned away to block their eyes. Jiias leaped over them, tumbling and landing behind them. As he started running again, he said, "We improvise."

Reaching another corner, he turned only to run into several more guards. Two of them fired, but Jiias deflected their shots back at them. They ducked, and Jiias chose another direction, and started running again.

He led them on a chase, circling the same hallways at least once before Jiias turned a sharp corner and raced through the doors onto a landing pad. Unfortunately, the pad was empty, and Jiias stopped in his tracks as he reached the edge. He spun around just as the guards reached the doors, and they ran through before he could close them. Spreading out in a half-circle, they stepped closer.

"I highly doubt you'll block all our shots," the guard from earlier said. "I think you've run out of tricks." They all raised their rifles and Jiias held his lightsaber to defend himself.

Suddenly, the guards looked past Jiias in horror and started yelling as blaster bolts fired past him and struck several guards. He turned to see the Millennium Falcon hovering closer, its landing ramp lowering.

"What're you waiting for, kid" Han yelled from inside the ship, "an engraved invitation?"

Turning off his lightsaber, Jiias leaped, flipping through the air, and landing on the ramp. He rushed into the ship as the ramp closed.

He reached the cockpit to find Han and Kalthar waiting for him.

"Nice distraction, kid," Han said. "You're not so bad in a fight."

Jiias slumped into one of the seats. "Thank you for returning."

Piloting the Falcon away from the base, Han said, "What, you think I'm going to explain to Luke that I just left his student behind? Speaking of which, we need to get back. Krell's probably attacking by now, and Luke's going to need a hand."

Jiias looked at him. "He is a Jedi Master."

"Maybe." Han turned to him. "But to me, he'll always be that farm boy I saved years ago."

With that, the Falcon leaped into hyperspace.


	18. Chapter 17

17.

Nia, Narth, and Fiz got to the door to exit the temple, but when they opened it, they found the bodies of dozens of troops scattered on the ground. Several Neks approached, firing in their direction. Nia, rolled out of the way and dropped one thug with a blaster shot between the eyes. Fiz and Narth added to the blasterfire, covering Nia as she ducked behind some crates.

"We're almost there!" Nia yelled as she prepared to run to the hanger.

Suddenly several Nek fighters flew over, firing torpedoes into the hanger's ceiling. Nia tumbled out of the way as shrapnel struck the crates, and Narth grabbed her, pulling her back into the temple.

"I don't believe the hanger is a proper idea at this time," Narth said.

"Really, what was your first clue," Nia shot back as she pulled out her com. "Hammer 2 to Leader. Please tell me you're not in there."

"Leader here," Roor answered. "We're in the Senate building and were just about to run for the hanger."

"Good thing we're both late," she said. "Any other ideas?"

Roor on the other end was silent for nearly a minute, before answering. "The laboratory. They were planning to move the M-Wings to the hanger next week. They should be operational though."

"The M's?" Nia asked. "They're not field-tested yet."

"Well then we'll test them. Meet us there at your convenience."

"Well that was highly irregular considering the circumstances," Narth said.

"Agreed," said Fiz. "Why be so polite in such a stressful event?"

Pocketing her comlink, Nia said, "When the Captain says, 'at your convenience,' he means, 'get your hindquarters there, right now!" She opened the door again and took off running. "Let's move!"

Sala ran into the padawan training room to find Master Paacence with several Jedi children.

"Oh, thank heavens, Sala," Paance said. She moved close to her and gave her a hug. "I was so worried. Are you hurt, dear?"

"No Master, I'm fine," Sala replied. "But they're getting closer."

Almost on cue, blasterfire struck the wall above Sala's head. She ducked and Paacense raised her hand, causing the doors to slam shut. "We have to get out of here, Master. That won't hold!"

"I know, dear," Paacense said. Raising her hand again, she caused the door behind her to open. "That passageway runs underground and meets the Senate building. Take the children and find the other Masters."

Sala started to protest. "Master, I won't leave you-"

"Go!" Paacense ordered.

"Yes, Master," Sala replied. Taking the children, she led them through the doorway. She had just turned to look back when Paacense closed the door.

A few moments later, the other door was blown open, and several Nek thugs ran in. Blasters drawn, they surrounded the hutt Jedi.

"You shall not harm the children," she said calmly.

"Well then, hutt," the lead thug spit, "your slimy carcass'll just have to do." They all closed their fingers on the triggers of their blasters.

Still calm despite the situation, Paacense simply raised her hand, palm toward the lead Nek. Suddenly, he dropped his gun and stumbled into the wall. The Jedi shifted her eyes, and another thug gripped his stomach and fell backwards. One-by-one their faces turned green and their eyes rolled into the backs of their heads as they stumbled, collapsed on the ground, and even lost the contents of their previous meal.

"I was polite to you," the hutt Jedi said. "I'd prefer if you returned the gesture."

Luke and Aulric were running down the hallway when they found Sala and the kids.

"Master Skywalker," Sala gasped, "Master Paacense . . . .in danger!"

Luke nodded and patted her shoulder. "Keep going through the tunnel. We'll take care of it."

He and Aulric continued until they got to the closed double doors.

"It's sealed from the other side," Aulric said as, inspecting the controls.

"Other side," Luke said, and Aulric stepped to the other side of the door. "On three." Both held up their hands, fingers pointing where the two doors met. "One, two, three!" Calling on the Force, they made a pulling gesture with their hands, and with the sound of tearing metal, the doors slid open. Luke and Aulric leaped into the room before the doors had opened completely, and froze in their tracks at the sight before them.

Numerous Nek thugs either leaned against the wall or were lying on the ground, groaning as they held their stomachs. Paacense turned, and seeing the two, immediately brightened.

"Masters!" she said. "Are Sala and the children safe?"

"Yeah," Luke answered, "they're fine."

Surveying the fallen troops around them, Aulric added, "We just sent them to the Senate chambers."

"Oh wonderful," she said as she slithered past them. "I must get to them. The poor things must be terrified."

Aulric watched her leave, then turned to Luke. The Jedi Master merely shrugged, and the two continued through the temple.

In Gallas' chambers, R2D2 and C3PO continued to evacuate those in buildings anywhere near the Senate. As R2D2 changed to a different channel, they heard voice growling at them.

"Oh my," C3PO said. "He's not happy about his program being interrupted.

R2D2 beeped a response and the taller droid looked down at him.

"I cannot say that. It's quite rude."

R2D2 squealed intensely, causing C3PO to jump back. "All right, all right. I'll do it." He responded over the com with his own voice but in the growling dialect of the one he was speaking to. The response was even more angry, but prompted with responses by R2D2, C3PO continued. The response was a monstrous roar, followed by the line going dead.

"Oh dear," C3PO said, straightening.

Nia, Fiz, and Narth got to the labs to find Kozal waiting with a male Twilek, female Gungan, male Xexto, and a large, mud-like creature.

"Ah, Nia," Kozal said, "where are the rest of the group?"

"Lost 'em," she said. "We got separated in the temple. I found Fiz and Narth, but that's it. I think the rest went to help the Jedi."

Kozal nodded. "Well this'll have to make due. Mr. Llar, the door, please."

As the Twilek went to work on removing the lock, Nia looked to her captain. "That's it? They've got about a hundred fighters up there. We've got eight! How is that a match for them?"

"It isn't," Kozal admitted. "But as long as they're shooting at us, they're not shooting at anyone on the ground."

"Ready sir," Tol Llar said, opening the door.

"Captain," Narth said, "the M-Wings weren't designed for ship-to-ship combat, at least not with those on a fighter's scale."

"I'm aware of that," Kozal said. "Remember all those games of Kenoso. Play a runt as royalty-"

"And royalty as a runt," Narth finished. "I understand, sir."

"Enough speak," Freon, the Xexto said. "I want to fly!" he lunged through the door and into the nearest fighter.

Kozal followed. "Mr. Llar, the doors, if you please. The rest of you choose your fighter."

"Blood Leader," Harn said, "we've got some new signals coming from groundside."

Krell tipped his fighter to the side and looked down. "I thought we already took out the hanger."

"Not the hanger sir." Karn squinted as the fighters rose into the sky. "They flew out from another building."

"How many?"

"Only eight, but-"

"But what?" Krell asked.

"Fourteen, Twenty-eight, you see 'em?" Harn asked. "They looked like rockets with helmet-shapes over the middle."

Krell switches his comm's frequencies to listen in on the chatter from the new ships.

"All wings report."

"Hammer Two standing by."

"Hammer Four standing by."

"Hammer Six is standing by."

"Hammer Seven standing by."

"Hammer Eleven standing by."

"Hammer Three stands by."

"Hammer Eight standing by."

"Lock your S-Foils."

Krell rolled his ship and flew past the Senate to view these new attackers himself. Then he heard the chatter from his own ships.

"The helmets are opening."

"I see 'em. They're wings. Why do they have engines along the bodies?"

"Those aren't engines. They're guns! Break off and back!"

Krell just got there in time to see one of the new craft open fire, with several turboloasers firing like the wheel of an ancient cannon, and Bloods 14 and 28 disintegrated before his eyes.

"Bloods," Krell said, "back off and flank them. They don't look like they can move much."

"I've got one in my sights, sir," Harn said. He chased the fighter, which failed miserably to outmaneuver him. "I've got a lock. Die, you bantha scum!"

His blasts hit the fighter's body head-on. A few seconds later, he heard chatter from the pilot. "Six here, enemy fighter has made physical contact."

"Leader here, how bad, Six?"

"Direct hit. Superficial damage."

Harn froze. Superficial? He looked out at the craft, which continued flying despite the shots that had hit it. "Boss, they're armored!"

"No wonder they aren't try to out-fly us," Krell growled. He chose one enemy fighter and followed it. "Two, Nine, you're with me. Fire as soon as you get a lock."

The three craft moved in a pyramid formation and fired on the fighter at the same time. Their turbolasers dug into the armor, sending sparks flying, and causing cracks in the cockpit.

"Four here, I'm hit. Ejecting before I lose pressure."

Harn fired again. "You think that windshield is blast-proof?"

Krell fired. "His suit isn't," he said with a smirk.

"Leader, thisa Three," Amma said. "Captain, Tol isa lost. Repeats, I lost mine wing."

"Three, Leader here, stay put and we'll meet you."

"Easy for yous to say," Amma replied, struggling to dodge more laser fire.

Sala and the Jedi children ran into the chambers to find Gallus, Tansi, Amiscus, and Editha. "Masters, they're in the temple!"

"You'll be safe here," Editha said. "Children, come with me. let's find you some food."

"Mr. Gallus, sir," C3PO said, "R2 says a number of people are headed in this direction from the path we came from."

Tansi looked up from the computer. "They're not Neks. They must be fleeing from the offices."

Gallus ran to the door and opened it. "Come in, everyone hurry." A blaster shot just missed his head as he helped an elderly woman through the door. Amiscus rolled forward through the doorway and pulled out twin green lightsabers, deflecting the blasts back at the shooters.

"That's it, Master Jedi, come back in." He started to close the door behind the Jedi, when a large alien with black and purple fur over mountains of muscles ran in.

"Oh, oh my," C3PO said, and the alien turned and charged straight for him, growling in the same language he had heard over the com before. Amiscus rushed forward to stop the alien when a building on the monitor exploded. The alien stopped, watched the monitor, then looked back at the droid. Suddenly, it stepped forward and picked the droid up. "Oh no, R2, help me!" The alien picked up C3PO, spun him around, then lowered him back to the ground.

Amiscus looked to Gallus who just smiled. Tansi shook his head and returned to the computer.

The alien then used all four of its mouths to place kisses all over the droid's metal head.

"Oh, oh," C3PO said, "you're welcome, madam."

"Hammer Six to Leader," Fiz said, "we're still alive, but they've chosen to attack in swarms."

"It doesn't help that we can't even see what these swarms look like," Nia said, as her craft shook from another shot.

"I know, Two, Six," Kozal said. "Just keep them firing at us for as long as you can."

"We're doing our best . . . sir, more signals approaching!"

"We just got your invitation. Can we join the party, Captain?" Wedge said.

"Rogue leader?" Kozal said. "You're more than welcome to join. There's plenty of dances for everybody."

"Where are they?" came one response.

"Follow the blasterfire," Kozal said. "They're cloaked."

"We didn't give them cloak," Wedge said as his fighter joined Kozal's.

Kozal looked to his right to see the X-Wings join his formation. "Well someone did."

"Blood Leader, you hear that?" Harn asked.

"I heard it," Krell answered. "Rogue Squadron. All nearby wings, those're your new targets."

Krell and Harn raced straight for the X-Wings that entered the sky. Harn picked one and got right behind it.

"Leader, this is Three, I've got a tail."

"That's right, you do," Harn chuckled as he fired. The fighter rolled and lifted up higher into the sky. "Keep up the stunts, Little Rogue, it'll make me enjoy this more." He fired a few wide blasts and one struck the fighter's wing, but not hard enough to destroy it. The fighter regained its control and continued to try and escape. "Like a cat with a mouse," Harn said. "Keep spinning and flipping, Little Rogue, but it won't do any good. Do you see me?"

"No, but I hear you, smart chops," came the reply, and Harn snarled. Then he heard another voice.

"But thanks for firing on my friend. Now I see you." It was Wedge Antilles' voice.

Harn looked up and saw the X-Wing headed right for him. "General-" was all he could say before Wedge blew his craft to pieces.

"Harn!" Krell yelled. He slammed his fist on the control panel, then regained his composure he searched for the X-Wing with his sensors. "Okay, Antilles, you want to play?" He found Wedge's fighter and fell behind it. "Six, Nine, cover me." He narrowed his eyes. "I'm so going to enjoy your last moments, Antilles."


	19. Chapter 18

18.

The Millennium Falcon emerged from hyperspace, and Han brought the ship into the planet's atmosphere. Even well below them, they could see the flashes of lights and fire from the fight below.

"Well," Han said as he made the ship dive straight down, "we didn't miss the party."

Kalthar rumbled a response and Han answered. "Yes, honey, I'm sure you're dressed well enough to be fashionably late."

Jiias just looked at the two of them with wide eyes before Han responded. "It was a joke, kid."

The boy looked at them for a moment longer before turning his head to observe the action below them. "If you use humor as a way to combat the tension, then I hope you have more jokes ready."

Entering Gallus' chambers, Luke and Aulric joined Leia, Sala, and Gallus as they watched the monitors.

"Has the temple been cleared?" Luke asked

"Masters Tansi and Shiee have returned to search for anyone else in danger," Leia answered. She then motioned to the far corner behind them. "The children have strangely clung to Master Amiscus."

Luke and Aulric both looked over. "Well, kids like bugs," Aulric chuckled.

Leia shot him a glare. "Castin, that's a Jedi Master you're talking about."

"Well He's the one who originally said it," Aulric shot back defensively.

"As long as they're safe," Luke said, "that's what matters." He turned to the monitors. "How are they doing?"

"Rogue Squadron's trying to help Hammer Squadron," Gallus said, "but now both were getting ripped apart."

Luke clenched his fists. "I hate feeling so helpless like this."

"I know," Leia said, touching his shoulder, "but with the hanger destroyed and not even any speeders nearby, we have no way to get you to a ship."

Aulric turned to look at Luke. "You've done as much as you can. We'll just have to find another solution."

Luke looked again at the monitors. "Are you sure there are no more speeders-"

*Master*

"Jiias!" Luke said aloud. He turned to R2D2. "R2, check the sensors for other ships."

R2D2 beeped a few negative results before responding excitedly.

"It is the Millennium Falcon, Master Luke!" C3PO translated.

"Great! Get a hold of them." R2D2 beeped and connected them. "Han, it's Luke. You there?"

"Right here to the rescue, kid," Han answered. "Your student also helped me save someone."

Luke heard the Wookie growl and smiled. "Well, I'm glad Kalthar's safe, but I don't think you brought her anywhere better."

"I can see that," Han said, looking out the Falcon's viewport. "Actually I can't. What's going on down there?"

"Krell somehow found a way to cloak his ships and still see out of them," Luke answered.

"Well there's no way you can cloak each little ship and there's nothing in orbit except the debris of a cruiser." Kalthar rumbled a question. "That would've been pretty smart," Han answered, "but if Krell really had another ship cloaked in the debris, we would've crashed right into it as we flew through."

Luke paused for a moment. "It's gotta be coming from the ground then, but we haven't been able to figure out where."

Jiias suddenly sat up straight. "Fly past the temple and Senate."

Han turned to him. "You have an idea where it is?"

Still staring into space, Jiias said, "Can you fly between the buildings?"

"Well, they've gotta be easier to dodge than asteroids," Han answered. "And plus we're not being shot at this time."

Just then, the Falcon shook as two fighters fell in line behind it, firing their cannons.

Kalthar growled a comment. "Sorry," Han said in response, and brought the Falcon down between the buildings.

The ship rolled and spun as Han, following Jiias' rapid instructions, maneuvered the ship around the structures and eventually found a small clearing with a single towering structure in the center.

"It is there," Jiias said, pointing ahead of them.

Han gaped out the building before them "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"What's going on?" Luke asked over the comm.

"Kid, you're not going to believe this," Han answered, "That cloaking shield they're using? They turned the Pillar of Peace into a giant antenna!"

Krell brought his fighter into the mix as Wedge opened fire on another cloaked Nek fighter. Apparently, Wedge figured out pretty fast how to find the enemy by targeting where they were firing from.

"For frag sake," Krell yelled over his comm, "Stop firing! Everyone back off and cover me." The other Nek fighters followed Krell as he began chasing Wedge. "Let's see how good you really are, Antilles!"

"Kid, we've got a problem," Han said as the Falcon flew around the Pillar of Peace.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

Fire from the Nek's blaster cannons shook the ship again. "We've got too many buildings around for me to get a good shot at that thing." He twisted the Falcon into the air, rolling to avoid another shot by the enemy. "Any chance you can get over here and take it out?"

"We'll try," Luke responded, "but I think someone's onto us. We've got another brigade trying to break into here."

"Well we better think of something," Han said, spinning the Falcon around for another dive. "I've tried twice to dive-bomb that pillar, but I can't bring the Falcon up fast enough to get a good shot."

Beside him, Kalthar rumbled a question. "No, honey," Han answered. "Even if we could fly by it, the quad cannons won't do enough damage to drop that thing."

Jiias turned to him. "Does your ship have a top hatch?"

"Yeah, just past the landing ramp," Han said. "Why?" He turned, but the boy was already out of his chair. "Kid, what are you doing?"

"Fly as close as you can to it," Jiias answered before disappearing out the cockpit.

"Oh yeah," Han muttered, "no problem."

"What's going on?" Luke asked over the comm.

Han answered, "Your student thinks he has a way to take that pillar out.."

"By himself?" Han heard him say to someone at his location, "We need to find a way out of here, now!"

Wedge tried to spin and roll his fighter away from the other craft, but Krell stayed right behind him. "I'll bet you're wishing you never got me kicked out now, aren't you?"

"No, I'm actually thinking I should've shot you when I had the chance," Wedge said.

"Either way, Antilles," Krell chuckled, "you're proving to be a complete failure." He kept chasing the X-Wing and grinned as he finally got a target lock.

Han tilted the Falcon and maneuvered between the buildings again, moving to the clearing with the pillar. Behind them, Nek fighters continued firing at the ship as it spun and rolled to avoid enemy fire.

"Kid," Han said to Jiias over the comm, "I'm not going to be able to slow down." A light on the console beeped, signaling that the young Jedi student had opened the top hatch but kept the platform down.

"Maintain your speed, Captain," he said calmly.

Han grumbled, "Maintain my speed." He then asked. "We're nearing it, kid. Get ready."

"Understood."

Jiias held onto the clamps and looked up as the buildings flew past him. He waited until the Falcon circled the pillar, and then he leaped right out of the top hatch. In mid-air, he pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it. As he nearly collided with the pillar, he drove the blade into the stone and used the momentum to spin around it. With his blade digging into the structure, he threw himself in a downward spiral toward the ground.

Krell sneered as he got his target lock. "Go to Hell, Antilles!" He started to fire, but the circuits in his ship suddenly sparked and his viewport flashed as the cloak fell. He spun his fighter away and fought desperately to control it.

Wedge meanwhile flew his ship in the other direction as his systems blared. "Rogue Leader to Hammer Leader. I'm hit."

"Hammer Leader here. How bad?"

Wedge winced as his sparks flew from his control panel. "Bad enough, I'm ejecting."

"Copy," Kozal said. "Six and Seven are on their way to cover your landing."

"Thanks," Wedge said. "Take over Rogue Squadron for me. I'm gone." With that, Wedge ejected from his fighter. As his chute lowered him toward the ground, he saw two M-Wing fighters circling above him, providing cover until he could get to safety.

"Copy leader," Kozal said. "Rogue Squadron, I'm taking command. Whatever happened to the Neks, they're now visible. Hammer Squadron, pair up with the nearest Rogues, split the enemy, and send them home."

In the former cantina that the Neks had converted into a base of operations, Colonel Grast panicked at the results on his digital readout. "Lord Rasur," he called, "they found a way to break the cloak!"

In his chair, Rasur watched his own readouts, raising his head with a growl.

Jiias landed on the ground in a crouch and looked up as the pillar shook, the marks where his blade had dug revealed where the stone was shifting as gravity took hold. Turning off his lightsaber, Jiias attached it to his belt, and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, held his hands out, palms toward the pillar, and called upon the Force. For a moment, everything was completely silent. Then the structure groaned as the pieces cut with the lightsaber shook . Jiias brought his arms back so the backs of his hands touched his own chest, and the stone pieces of the structure began to tremble, scraps of stone falling as the parts of the pillar started to give way. Then, letting out his breath, he pushed out with his hands, and the center pieces of the structure shot out from the pillar. The top of it began to crumble, and in seconds, the entire structure crashed to the ground.


	20. Chapter 19

19.

"What in blazes happened?" Colonel Grast asked as all of their monitors shut down.

A nearby technician jabbed the buttons with his bony fingers, trying to get something to work. "They must've found our antenna. I'm getting no signal at all."

Pounding the console, Grast ran into the other room. "Lord Rasur, they found the antenna. We've got nothing on the computers." He rushed into the chambers. "Lord Rasur? Lord Ras-" He stopped as he found the chambers were empty.

"Colonel, we've got company!" Several thugs were already shutting the shielding over the windows.

Pulling out his blaster, Grast ran back into the room. "Seal the door! Get your weapons ready!"

"Where's Lord Rasur?"

Grast shook his head, his entire body trembling with it. "I don't know, but we're on our own."

He jumped back as something thumped against the door.

"Weapons up!" Grast yelled, pointing his own at the door. The thumping continued all over the door. Then all was silent. Grast and his men looked to each other in confusion. Then, the blue blade of a lightsaber dug through the door.

"It's one of those Jedi monsters!" One thug cried, trying desperately to keep his weapon trained on the door.

"Steady men," Grast said, though also to himself. "It's only one Jedi. We can take one Jedi."

The blade of the lightsaber ran slowly in a circle around the outline of the door. Then it disappeared.

Grast steadied his pistol. "Get ready!"

Despite his words, Grast and his men were definitely not ready as the sliced circle of the door blew loose, hurtling toward several thugs, who threw themselves out of the way. Grast fired his pistol, and the rest of his team followed, but the blasts were deflected back into the room. Grast ducked behind the console and heard screams from behind him. Risking a glance back, he saw two of his Neks lying on the ground with smoke coming from their arms and legs. He turned back to the door, again readying his shaking weapon as a figure entered through the smoke.

Stepping through the smoke, Leia appeared, holding her lightsaber in a defensive position with her left hand with her right hand training her blaster pistol on Grast. She fired and Grast jumped back, dropping his weapon as the console exploded. Grast fell back on the ground, looking up as Leia pointed her pistol just below his midsection.

"I missed the first time," she said. "Do you trust my aim again?"

"Drop your weapons!" Grast cried out to his team without hesitation. One by one, they threw their blasters to the ground.

"On your feet," Leia demanded, and Grast obeyed. "Now gentlemen, form a line. We're going to take a little walk. If you behave yourselves, there's a good chance you'll all survive the trip.

Exhausted, Jiias slowly surveyed the damage around him. The Pillar of Peace now lay in crumbled heaps all over the courtyard with only the waist-high base remaining. Smoke still filled the area, slowly lifting up to the sky as if following where the pillar once stood. No one else was around, no one was harmed. Various flashes of light and glints of metal appeared in the sky. Those must be Krell's ships without their cloaks.

Jiias started to reach for his comlink to contact Master Skywalker when his senses screamed. His lightsaber leaped into his hands and ignited as he dropped to a crouch. Suddenly, a huge dark figure leaped through the smoke kicking him to the ground with a roar.

Rolling to one knee, Jiias readied his weapon and looked at his adversary. Throwing aside his cloak, the ogre-like Darth Rasur ignited his lightsaber, the huge red blade resembling less of sword and more of a monstrous club. With an inhuman roar, Rasur lunged forward, bringing his thick blade down in and overhand slice. Jiias brought his blade to block it, but the impact crushed him to the ground.

Jiias quickly tried to stand, but Rasur swung his blade in a sideways strike that sent the boy crashing into a piece of the pillar. Holding his weapon with one hand, he held out his other, palm facing his opponent, and pushed out with the Force, but Rasur simply backhanded the Force-filled blast aside. Holding his own hand up, he used the Force to lift Jiias off his feet by the throat and hurl him across the courtyard. He hit the ground with a loud thud and rolled until his body wrapped around a tree.

Rasur gave a low-throated chuckle as the boy struggled to his feet. Weary, bruised, and spitting out blood, Jiias gripped the handle of his weapon with quivering fingers and held it up before him, his eyes locking with the glowing yellow eyes of the Sith monster.

"You're a Jedi?" Rasur grunted smugly.

With a growl, he lunged forward, swinging his lightsaber like a heavy metal weapon, but Jiias leaped out of the way. As he did, he swung his own weapon around, and Rasur shrieked in surprise as he felt something bite his face. Lifting gray, swollen fingers to his chin, he felt the burn where the boy's lightsaber had left its mark. Before him, the boy stood ready with his weapon, his eyes revealing no hint of emotion, despite the dirt and bruises over his face.

With a roar, Rasur lunged forward and swung his blade. Jiias blocked it, but the impact made him stumble. But that was only the first strike. Losing himself in his inhuman rage, Rasur swung his weapon down in a series of overhand strikes, which the boy tried desperately to block, Rasur's blade burning the boy's hair and parts of his face. Unrelenting, Rasur brought his blade down over and over again, and with each block, Jiias felt himself falling, first to one knee, then to both. A kick from the Sith monster lifted him back to his feet but off balance. Rasur then swung his blade in an underhanded swing, which sent Jiias completely off his feet and crashing into the crumbling base of the pillar, his head bouncing off the base, and his body landing in a crumpled heap.

Leia marched the Nek troops to the Senate building, where security and Sala met her.

Watching Leia lead all the troops with only her lightsaber and blaster, Sala said, "Would I be out of line of I said I found my role model?"

"You have your own strengths," Leia answered, "and you'll develop them over time."

One of the security guards stepped forward. "We'll take it from here." Turning to Grast, he asked," Who's your commanding officer?"

"Lord Rasur was in charge," Grast said, "but he abondoned us."

The guard looked to Leia and Sala, then back to Grast. "Lord Rasur?"

"He's a Sith who was working with General Krell."

Sala turned to Leia. "A Sith? What is he doing-" Suddenly, she felt it, just like she had months earlier when her father was in danger, but now much clearer since she spent time training. "Jiias is in trouble!" She took off running, with Leia following.


	21. Chapter 20

20.

Darth Rasur laughed a deep, growling laugh as he approached the fallen Jiias. The young Jedi's body had actually broken the stones of the pillar when he hit it, and now the boy lay broken among the clutter of stones. Kicking the Jedi's lightsaber away, Rasur lifted his own and brought it down to cut the pathetic Jedi in half.

Instead, it was blocked by a bright green blade than knocked him aside. Rasur turned to his new opponent and grinned. "Skywalker. The Sith have awaited this confrontation."

He swung his lightsaber in the same overhead slice he used to drop the boy, but Luke knocked it aside. He tried again, but again, the Jedi Master parried his attack. Exploding in a rage, Rasur leaped through the air, throwing out attack after attack, overhand, from the side, from the other side, and even underhand. But without little noticeable effort, Luke kept deflecting the blows. He tried a straight thrust, but Luke spun and performed a leaping kick, catching Rasur in the ribs, and causing him to flip in the air, crashing hard onto his back.

Luke held his weapon at a low angle with one hand, but he cautiously approached the Sith monster. "Maybe you should've waited a little longer."

With a hiss, Rasur lifted himself to one knee and glared. Luke braced for another assault, but instead, Rasur lifted his free hand in a, 'come here,' gesture. But it wasn't to Luke.

Suddenly, several dozen Nek troops rushed over, blaster rifles firing. Luke spun around, deflecting the blasts, and redirected them back at the thugs. Standing, Rasur roared and lunged again at the Jedi Master's back, but a golden blade this time blocked his.

"Not today," Aulric said.

With a growl, Rasur pulled his blade loose and swung it sideways. Aulric blocked several blows, but Rasur charged close and slammed his elbow into Aulric's skull. He then swung his weapon and sent the Jedi flying off his feet. Aulric landed in a roll, and crouched, he preparing for the monster's next attack.

"We shall see, Jedi," Rasur smirked.

Sala rounded a corner to see a thug holding a sniper rifle, aiming directly at Master Skywalker. With the Jedi Master deflecting the shots of several nearby troops, there was no way he could see that shot. Without a thought, Sala rushed forward, yelling, "No!" as she held out her hand.

The thug's rifle shifted enough for the shot to completely miss Master Skywalker. Dropping it, he spun around and pulled out his blaster pistol, pointing it at her as he squeezed the trigger.

"Stop!" she said, more out of reflex than anything else. To her surprise, the confused thug released the trigger. "You don't want to do that."

"I don't want to do that," the thug repeated, lowering his weapon.

I wonder if this'll work, Sala thought, before saying, "You want to do something else with your life."

"I want to do something else with my life."

"Something that doesn't involve killing."

Still confused, he repeated, "Something that doesn't involve killing."

"Like growing a garden."

"Like growing a garden." Dropping his blaster, he smiled. "Yes, a garden. What a great idea! I'm going to grow one right now! Thank you."

He took off past her, disappearing between the buildings. Sala watched him for a moment, then turned and continued running.

Regaining control of his fighter, Krell spun it around to rejoin the fight. Ahead of him, his squadron, now all-too visible, were still holding their own against Republic forces, but it was mostly because they still outnumbered the enemy. If they could keep the numbers game in their favor, they could still win this battle.

A flash of green below him caught Krell's eye, and he tilted his fighter to get a better look. Circling, he saw his troops closing in on a figure with a green lightsaber. Considering he was holding his own against numerous troops, he had to be the Jedi Master Skywalker. Narrowing his eyes, Krell flipped his fighter over and dove for Skywalker. With a sneer, he armed his proton torpedoes and awaited a lock. His own troops might be too close to the impact, but luckily Lord Rasur looked like he'd be out of blast range.

A series of beeps told him his torpedoes were locked and he smiled grimly, closing his fingers on the trigger. "Let's see you deflect these, Skywalker."

Suddenly, shots from a blaster cannon struck his fighter and caused it to spin out of control. He swung his ship up and away from the ground. "What the hell was that?"

"Payback," Han said as the Millennium Falcon entered his view.

Krell's eyes blazed. "Solo. So you've come to enter the fight, old man?"

"I've come to see if I'm still young enough to whip your hide. You up for a duel, General?"

"I've wanted this for a long time, Captain," Krell said, bringing his fighter around. The Falcon twisted in the air, but Krell brought his fighter right behind it. The Falcon shot forward at its top speed, but Krell kept in the chase. "Well that was easy, old man. I guess your ship isn't so fast after all."

Kalthar growled at him over the comm. "Is that the Wookie I captured? I see she's free from her metal prison."

Aboard the Falcon, Kalthar rumbled a comment. "No, keep talking," Han said. "I've got an idea." He looped the Falcon around couldn't shake Krell's fighter. "That's right, Krell. I saved her. Sorry I can't say the same for your base, or rather what's left of it."

Krell fired his blaster cannons, but the Falcon's shields absorbed most of the damage. "I must apologize, Solo, but the carbonite chamber I used to freeze your friend was in pretty bad condition. No doubt, she wasn't in any comfortable hibernation." He fired again, noting on his screen that the Falcon's shields were weakening. "You know what it's like, don't you Solo? Trapped in metal, not being able to move, not being able to breathe, not being able to scream, not being able to die."

"Are you granting me that now, Krell?" Han asked as he brought the Falcon through another loop.

"I think I've tortured you both enough," Krell answered. "You won't take this victory from me."

The Falcon then looped and dove straight toward the ground. "You expect me to fall for that, old man?" Krell asked. Instead of following, he circled in the air above it.

Suddenly bolts from blaster cannons struck his fighter again. "What the?" His eyes darting around, Krell rolled his fighter and noticed the Falcon had fired its quad cannons backward, and since he hadn't been trying to evade, the bolts scored direct hits. He swung his fighter around, trying to regain control when his sensors blared that the Falcon was right behind him.

"Looks like you did," Han said. "I said this to one of your peers, years ago, but General, kiss my Wookie!" With that, he fired his weapons.

Krell laughed as he spun his fighter to avoid more blaster fire before realizing nothing was striking his craft. A new alarm blared, alerting him that the Falcon had missile lock. He slammed his hand on the eject button but was one second too slow. The Falcon fired a concussion missile, and Krell and his fighter vanished in a cloud of smoke and fire.

"Thanks General," Han said. "I'm feeling younger already."

Lightsabers blazing, Aulric and Rasur continued to attack each other. Aulric held his own, using his speed and strength to keep the monster at bay, but Rasur kept knocking him around. Out of the corner of his eye, Rasur saw Leia approaching, her own weapon ready to fight. Aulric turned for a half-second to look as well, and Rasur took advantage of the distraction. Lightning shot from his fingers and struck Aulric, who screamed, dropping his lightsaber. Still blasting him with the Force lightning, Rasur lifted him off the ground and sent him crashing into Leia.

Sala ran over to check on them, and Rasur laughed as he approached, leering at the young Jedi in training. To Leia and Sala's surprise though, the Sith monster turned off his lightsaber and placed it on his belt. He then closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. Everyone watched as he stood there in silent peace.

Suddenly, he threw his arms out, hands wide open, eyes glowing like flames, and let out a deep-throated scream. The scream, backed by the Dark Side, struck everyone like a tidal wave. Leia threw herself over Sala and the two covered up, but Aulric, lying on his back directly in front of the Sith, was struck dead-on by the blast, froze in place. His own troops even fell to the ground, and those who were far enough away turned and ran.

Luke, however, stood strong, ignoring the Dark Side blast of hatred. "Forgetting someone?"

Turning, Rasur approached the Jedi Master, and the two circled each other. "No one will forget this, Master Skywalker, well no one who survives." Iginiting his lightsaber again, Rasur roared and lunged forward.

Luke met the Sith's blade with his own and parried it. The two exchanged a series of attacks and deflections while everyone else watched in shock. Rasur called on the Dark Side to build his strength, throwing more and more assaults at the smaller Jedi Master, but Luke kept dodging and deflecting them.

"You're fighting a losing battle, Skywalker," Rasur said swinging his club-like blade sideways.

Luke leaped over it and met the monster's blade again.

Growling, Rasur threw his blade in a series of underhand to overhand strikes. "You can't block forever. Soon you will fall, as will the Jedi."

He slammed his blade forward, but Luke blocked it. Standing over the Jedi, Rasur used his strength to driver his blade down against Luke's forcing him down to one knee. "You've already failed; you just don't know it yet. The Sith will succeed with your loss. You're nothing, Skywalker. You're the last of the old, dead Jedi Order."

"No," Luke said. Releasing his lightsaber, he suddenly slammed the palm of his hand against Rasur's chest. A blast of Force energy struck the Sith monster, sending him flying into the air. "The first of the new."

Rasur's roar turned into a scream as he was hurled through the air. He barely disappeared from view before crashing through the windows of the top floor of an apartment building in the distance.


	22. Chapter 21

21.

"Leader, new signals approaching from space."

Kozal sighed. They were already badly outnumbered to being with. Who else could be attacking? "Rogues Two and Three, join Hammers Five and Six below the hard deck. Perhaps we can use the Neks as shields."

"Leader, Two here. I'm getting a message from our orbital eyes. Star Destroyer entering Sector Three-One Zero. TIE Fighters emerging and entering our atmosphere."

Cursing, Kozal maneuvered his ship around to engaged the new foes. Then his comm opened with a new voice.

"This is Admiral Warren. All fighters are to aid Republic pilots in any way needed. Repeat, aid Republic fighters and eliminate Nek forces."

"It's Warren!" A Rogue shouted over the channel.

Dropping from the sky, TIE fighters blasted Nek fighters, moving to cover and X or M-Wings as they engaged. A TIE Interceptor flew past Kozal's M-Wing and destroyed a nearby Nek fighter with a series of laser blasts. The comm channel filled with cheers from various pilots, and the battle quickly turned with Nek fighters getting destroyed in record numbers.

"They couldn't have arrived at a better time, Leader," Nia said.

"Yes," Kozal agreed, watching the TIE. "Too convenient." Finally, he brought his craft behind the TIE. "Two, Eight, cover me."

"What are you doing, Captain?" Nia asked.

"Something's up, I know it. I'm not letting them fly in and flank us." Kozal fired his blaster cannons, but the TIE rolled and dodged the blasts.

"Captain," Nia said, "They're already proven they're with us. Don't do this."

"Stay with me, Two," Kozal said as he fired another volley of shots, all of which were evaded. "That's an order."

"Leader, this is Rogue Three. If they wanted to destroy us, they would've by now with their cruiser. They're trying to help us."

"No," Kozal snapped, "They're not! I've seen this before, and they won't get the jump on us, not on my watch." His next few blasts struck a panel on the TIE's wing, causing it to lose control momentarily.

Then he heard Han's voice over the comm. "Captain, this is Solo. What do you think you're doing?"

"Protecting us, Solo, as is my duty."

"They just helped clear out the Neks and you're opening fire on them?"

Kozal pressed a button on his console, his targeting computer searched for a lock on the fighter. "You wouldn't understand. You've been away from it for too long. This is going to end now." His computer beeped as it locked on the TIE and he prepared to finish it off.

"Hammer Leader this is Gold Leader," Han said, taking on an authoritative voice. "As senior officer, I'm assuming command of all squadrons loyal to the Republic. And I'm ordering you to stand down now."

"You don't have any command, Captain. You gave it up-"

"I repeat," Solo snapped back, "I'm assuming command. Stand down now or I'll consider you a threat and open fire. That's an order, Captain!"

"Yes sir," Kozal finally said, veering away from the TIE. "Standing down."

Solo continued. "Rogue and Hammer Squadron, bring your fighters in near the temple. Admiral Warren's team will follow."

Kozal followed his orders and landed his fighter with the rest of his squadron. To his astonishment, the TIE fighters did the same, landing without incident. Those still in the air fought off the remaining Nek fighters.

As Nek troops on the ground threw down their weapons and surrendered, Leia ran over to Luke. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," Luke said, turning off his lightsaber.

"What was it?"

"I don't know," Luke admitted, "but I have a feeling it's only the beginning."

"Master Skywalker!" Sala yelled. They turned to see her kneeling next to Jiias. The boy lay in the rubble, body contorted with his face in one direction and legs in the other. Both of his eyes were closed. "Jiias, can you hear me?" Sala asked. "Jiias?"

She cradled his head, but his body lay limp in her arms. She whispered to him, but he didn't respond.


	23. Chapter 22

22.

Chief of State Gallus walked with Admiral Warren as they approached the Jedi Temple. Warren, followed by his pilots, had order them to remove their helmets, deciding Republic forces would feel more comfortable seeing living faces.

"We owe you a debt of gratitude, Admiral," Gallus said.

"I'm just glad we received Master Tansi's distress call in time," Warren responded. "Although it looked like your pilots did an admirable job at holding their own."

"Speaking of our pilots . . . " Gallus looked up as Captain Kozal, flanked by Hammer Squadron, approached. He glanced back to his squadron and they stopped, before he looked to the two.

"Admiral Warren," Kozal said, "I apologize for my actions. I didn't trust you or your forces, and I was wrong." He turned to Gallus "As squadron leader, I accept full responsibility for my actions, but please leave my pilots be. They only followed my orders and even tried to stop me."

"So I heard," Warren said.

Gallus looked at Warren. "Admiral, if we are to form this Galactic Alliance, you'll be in charge of our military forces. I think then that this decision should fall to you."

Kozal turned to Warren. "Very well."

Warren looked at the Kel Dor pilot. "Captain Kozal, if we are to form this Galactic Alliance, we first must learn to trust one another." He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "I believe that also means we must forgive as well. You're an exceptional pilot and squadron leader, and since no one suffered any harm, I see no reason for disciplinary action." He held his hand out. "I want this alliance, captain. Do you?"

Kozal accepted his hand. "I do, admiral."

Warren smiled. "Then consider this a step forward."

"I will, sir," he responded.

He turned to leave when a female Imperial pilot with short dark hair stepped forward. "Captain?" As Kozal turned, she continued. "I'm impressed that you kept up with me."

"That was you?" Kozal faced her. "I apologize. I was out of line."

"Actually," she said, "I'd like to know how you maneuver those heavy fighters like you did. They're not designed for that, are they?"

"I like to give my pilots rather unorthodox training methods," he answered.

"Like what?"

"Like kicking our tails in his board games," Nia said from behind him.

The Imperial pilot seemed genuinely curious. "I'd like to learn some time, Captain."

Nodding, Koz said, "I'll show you."

Turning to Warren, Gallus said, "I think our alliance is taking a huge step forward right here."

Han found Jiias sitting in his usual spot at the edge of the balcony. The boy's right arm was in a sling and his face was covered in bruises, which he seemed to hide by staring at the darkness below.

Nervously, Han approached. "Hey kid, I mean Jiias, I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for everything. I really appreciate it." Jiias continued to stare downward, as if ignoring him. "I just wanted to say that." He turned to walk away.

"How is your friend?" Jiias asked, not looking up.

"Better," Han answered. "It's still going to take a little time for her sight and strength to return. I'm taking her home so she can be with friends and family."

Jiias didn't respond, so Han walked away, leaving the boy to his thoughts. He met Luke inside, and the two walked.

"He's still not doing too well, is he?" Han asked.

"Physically, he'll be fine," Luke said. "But he feels like he lost that battle."

Han looked at him. "That's crazy. He helped me rescue Kalthar, took down Neks in the bar, and took down that pillar." He raised his hands up. "I'd consider that quite a win."

Luke nodded. "I agree, but he also went against a Sith for the first time and lost horribly. I think it's haunting him."

As they continued walking, Han asked, "How about Aulric? How's he doing?"

Luke sighed and turned a corner, glancing into a room. Aulric slept on his side as a medical droid watched over him. "Whatever Darkside power he was hit with, it hurt him badly inside. They've had to give him medicine just so he could sleep."

"He's strong," Han said. "Hopefully, he'll be fine."

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "I hope."

As they walked away though, Luke heard Aulric murmur in his sleep, "Eyes . . . those eyes . . ."


	24. Epilogue

Epilogue.

Luke and his Jedi joined Hammer and Rogue squadron, along with several Imperial pilots, in Gallus personal suite to watch the wall-size screen. Luke, Leia, Wedge, and Sala sat together while Jiias and a still-shaken Aulric sat by themselves.

It had been two months since the attack, and the galaxy was finally coming together. Systems who had previously opposed the alliance changed their views once they heard that The Empire had helped Rogue Squadron and Hammer Squadron rescue the Jedi and Senate from Krell's Neks. Politicians who have previously spoken out, venomously distrusting the Empire suddenly threw their support behind it. With one single battle, the entire galaxy seemed ready, finally for the alliance to form.

The group watched the screen as Gallus and Warren, aboard Warren's Star Destroyer, newly named The Unity, prepared to sign the treaty to form the Galactic Alliance once and for all.

The meeting room of the ship, draped in red and white, the new colors for the Galactic Alliance, was filled with officials from both sides. Republic senators stood with Imperial Grand Moffs, soldiers stood side-by-side with stormtroopers, who held their helmets presenting themselves as living, breathing beings, rather than the faceless terrors the galaxy had known all too well. The Empire and Republic's top leaders stood together as Gallus held the datapad before him.

Presenting the datapad to the camera, Gallus said, "This treaty, once signed by myself and Admiral Warren, declares that on this day, The Republic and the Empire reform, ultimately ending our decades-old war." He signed it and handed it to Warren. "Your turn, Admiral."

Warren took the datapad, looked over it, and said, "I've been waiting for this for a long time. I'm tired of this war, and I look forward to seeing what peace will create for our worlds." He signed his name, then handed it back to Gallus.

"It is now official," Gallus said, holding the datapad up, "that our war finally ends. I hope this brings nothing but peace and prosperity for our galaxy. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the First Galactic Alliance."

He placed the datapad under his arm and clapped, with Warren joining in. Soon, everyone in the room began clapping as well. All over the galaxy, from Corellia to the Imperial world of Bastion, every world, every species, celebrated as well.

Gallus turned and shook Warren's hand. "So what are your plans for next-"

He was cut off as Warren's comlink beeped. Pulling it Warren said, "Is this the best time?"

"Sir," came the response. "Cruisers docking at every port."

"Cruisers?" Gallus looked at a puzzled Warren. "Where did they come from?"

"The appeared out of nowhere, sir."

Warren studied the comlink. "Cloaked? Seal off the ports at once."

"Too late," came the response. "Strike Troopers entering the ship! Repeat, Strike-" The comlink went dead.

"What the hell?" Warren motioned to his troops. "Weapons ready. Guard that door."

Republic and stormtroopers readied their blaster rifles when the doors blew open. Blasts struck through the smoke, dropping the troopers before they could respond. Appearing through the smoke were troopers in gray armor, their faces hidden beneath helmets with diamond-shaped mouth pieces and ribbon-shaped visors that ran around the sides of their helmets.

Once the soldiers fell, the strike troopers turned their weapons on the officials in the room. One trained his weapon on Gallus and fired, but Warren jumped in front of him, taking the shot in the chest. "Admiral-" he started to say before another blast caught him in the side of the head, sending his body tumbling over a nearby railing. In a matter of moments, the entire room was silent, and every Alliance person lay on the ground.

Clutching his chest, Warrent started to crawl, reaching for his comlink, when the nearest strike trooper kicked it away. "What do you think you're doing, soldier?" he asked.

"You won't be needing that, sir," the trooper answered. "Everyone already knows what happened here."

Warren coughed and tried to call up strength to his voice. "I'm your superior office, soldier."

"No sir," the trooper answered. "We're taking over."

Coughing blood, Warren looked at the carnage around him and scoffed. "You and what army?"

A large black boot rested over Warren's throat "The one you just gave me, Admiral."

Turning to look at the source of the voice, Warren's eyes went wide. "Ssurg!"

The large, muscular, black-scaled, lizard-like Trandoshan regarded Warren with a smirk. "Do I look harmless now?" He reached over, putting all his weight on his foot. There was the sound of a loud crack, and he stood up. Approaching the camera, he glanced over the datapad in his hand before raising pitch-dark eyes to address the camera.

"Whomever is watching this, I am Ssurg." He raised the datapad. "Speaking as the highest-ranked official in this room, and now the Galactic Alliance, thank you for signing this treaty."

He sneered, revealing rows of razor-sharp, white teeth. "Thank you for giving me My Empire."

The End.


End file.
